Storm Recovery and Tree Care: How Westlake’s Tree Trimming Experts Help Restore and Protect Your Property

Severe weather events can leave trees looking awful, with broken limbs, shredded foliage, and torn bark. At first glance, the damage may look like a mortal wound, but it’s nothing to fear. Injuries like these aren’t necessarily fatal to a tree. Find out how Westlake’s tree trimming experts can help restore and protect property.

Assessing the Damage

Image via Flick by Coco Mault

Trees have an amazing ability to recover after a weather-related event, such as a tornado, ice storm, or thunderstorm. If one suffers damage, a tree-trimming expert will start an assessment by asking these questions:

1. Was the tree healthy before the assault?
2. Are any large limbs broken?
3. Are at least half of the branches and leaves intact?
4. How big are the wounds from broken or damaged limbs and bark?
5. Can the remaining branches grow to fill out the tree’s appearance?
6. Is it the right kind of tree for its location?

Addressing Broken Branches

Most experts start by removing dead limbs. These sections may break off and become a hazard to people and property. If the tree has numerous broken branches, the arborist will then prune the remaining limbs to reduce the risk of further damage, such as tearing bark. They’ll avoid over-pruning and leave as many healthy branches and leaves as possible so the tree can continue to feed itself through photosynthesis. These specialists know how to do this safely and will have the tools, knowledge, and experience to do it right.

Preparing for Tree Removal and Replacement

If replacing a tree is the best option, a Westlake tree expert will remove the dead tree and ground the stump. That way, they can plant a new one right where the old tree was if it’s the right location for future growth.
Planting the right tree in the right place is crucial. So professionals will avoid putting large trees near power lines. Otherwise, they could cause an electrical outage during a severe weather event. If removing a tree is the only option, replacing it with a more robust species that’s more resistant to wind and ice damage, such as an Aleppo pine tree, is best.

Ensuring the Long-Term Health of Trees

Even if the trees are young or drought resistant, they need regular care. Those with broken limbs and poor canopy structures have weak points that could fail during a storm. Poor pruning techniques, disease, and insects also affect how well a tree can withstand heavy winds, making it a potential falling hazard during the next storm.
Watching their progress is essential once Westlake tree trimming experts have pruned them. As the summer heats up in Texas, the soil will start to dry out, and by August, trees will need deep watering twice a week. This practice will help recovering trees survive the harsh climate, and applying a slow-release organic fertilizer will lead to robust growth.
Trees provide many benefits, and investing in them will pay off. When Texas storms damage trees, cleaning and recovery can seem overwhelming. But Westlake’s tree trimming experts can help restore and recover property, so contact the pros at TreeNewal today for help.