Strong winds can damage and even kill susceptible trees and plants. Wind can also affect the growth, form and structural integrity of a tree, making it more prone to falling over or losing limbs and branches. This can be disastrous for your home and property and potentially dangerous for your family.
What can you do to prevent tree damage from wind?
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It’s important to maintain trees, preferably with professional pruning techniques to get rid of dead or damaged tree limbs and branches, and to help prevent a tree from getting sick from bug infestation, lack of nutrients, oxygen and sunshine.
If, however, you find yourself with a wind-damaged plant or tree, it’s important to act promptly and use the right techniques to speed up recovery and improve its chances of surviving.
Plants that have been ravaged by wind may have broken stems and torn leaves. By acting quickly and pruning the plant properly, you can improve its chances by pruning the damaged leaves and stems, as disease can enter this way. This will also allow the plant to regrow and regain its former structure.
If you have a tree that has damaged or broken branches again, it’s best to tend to the tree as soon as possible to minimise the chance of disease and further damage. Damaged twigs need to be removed back to the main branch. Main branches can be shortened to just above a side branch, but it’s important to know that these branches won’t ever grow any longer. If the branch that’s left isn’t integral to the overall shape of the tree, it’s best to remove it completely.
If you have plants that are in an area that constantly has a stream of wind blowing over them, you may notice that leaves permanently have brown edges or are wilted. This is because the roots aren’t able to pull water up from the soil fast enough before the wind has dried the water from them. If you have this problem, it might be worth considering erecting a fence or wind barrier around this section of your garden. Be careful not to cast too much shade over the plants in trying to block the wind, as this too will have a detrimental effect on the plants.
For trees, the best method for preventing wind damage is maintenance using specific pruning techniques. The canopy of the tree needs to be thinned out so that wind passes through the tree instead of pushing against it. Certain branches are removed to achieve this result without compromising the tree’s structural integrity and shape.
Unless you are a very experienced in this area and highly skilled in using saws and chainsaws, it’s best to have a professional carry out this work as it can be very dangerous and if you cut the wrong branches, it can not only damage but kill your tree.
If you have plants and trees that are in need of some TLC or you just want some advice on how to best prevent damage to your home and property, give Aussie Tree Solutions a call, and one of our qualified, experienced Arborists will be able to help.