Science of Weather: Tree Trimming
(CBS DETROIT) - Storms can do a lot of damage to trees whether it be storms in the summertime or in the wintertime. That's why it's important to keep your trees trimmed.
Arborist and president of A.W.D. Tree Inc. in Rochester, Michigan, Adam Dudley, explain what arborists do. "We have nasty storms every once in a while here in Michigan. So, what we try to accomplish as arborists is to thin out the trees so the wind doesn't catch it like a sail and push them over and cause storm damage."
A quarter inch of ice can add over 500 pounds of weight to a tree. Depending on the species of tree, that tree may not be able to hold that weight.
"Certain species of trees will be pretty tolerant of ice. If you're talking about birch trees, they bend a lot in storms and they can handle a lot of ice. But, as far as when the ice accumulates on the tree and then it just gets so much weight on the branches and the trunk then they tend to bust very easily. That's why you want to maintain your trees to make sure you get the most dead and other branches out of the tree," says Dudley.
He continues, "When the trees are growing too thick in the center, you want to clean out those canopies and the crown. You just want to make sure they're safe--for number one reason. Number two, the health of the tree. Anything that grows straight up in the tree or straight down we take out. Anything that is overlapping we take out. You want your tree to grow outwardly in this fashion."
Now that we know why it's important to trim your tree, trimming is done best at certain times of the year.
"Usually, summertime to fall is the best time to trim trees. So when you're talking about your ornamental trees, you want to prune those after they flower. If you cut them before they flower of course you're going to cut off all the buds and you're going to lose all the beauty of that tree for the season." Dudley continues, "Then you have your oak trees. As far as trimming should be done in the winter months because of oak wilt."
Homeowners should also budget and keep a schedule for tree trimming maintenance.
"A lot of people just don't think about their trees. That's really the last thing until it's too late and then there is a storm problem. So you just want to evaluate those at least every 2 to 3 years. Have somebody come out there and take a look at what is going on with your trees." Dudley recommends.
Now that's the science of weather.