Snow and Ice on Trees
Snow and ice can cause trees to loose limbs and homeowner headaches
Major snow and ice storms can, and do, cause damage to both young and mature trees. Knowing how to deal with these problems can save both the tree and your life.
Last week the Buffalo New York area was blasted with an early snowstorm. With leaves still on the trees, the heavy wet snow clung to the branches and the excessive weight caused many of them to snap leaving chaos behind. This is not such an unusual event, but is perhaps as memorable as blizzards. The effect of snow and ice on trees is similar in that they both cause major and minor tree limb damage.
There are a few basic rules to remember when these events occur:
1: Chain saws and power lines DO NOT mix! Always leave limbs that are over power lines to the professionals who have the knowledge and equipment to safely remove them.
2: Do not lift and drag or try to shift large branches without help. It is easy to think you need to help, but giving yourself a heart attack in the process, is not helpful. Each year many people over exceed their body’s capability clearing snow and land in the hospital, or worse. Do not join them.
Assuming you have observed 1 & 2 there are things you can do to remove the worst of the mess on your lawn or your tree.
For small trees that have lost branches look at where the branch came from. You will see a ragged and torn break. If the damage is away from the main trunk, then remove the whole of the severed branch. Look for a ‘collar’ (thickening) near the trunk or lateral stem and make the cut there. The collar is the area where the most regenerative cells are and they will heal the break quickly.
If the break has torn from a lateral branch, reduce the lateral branch to a point where you can make a good clean break. Observe the tree in the next few months to see if the remaining branch is healing. Also if the break has torn into the main stem, you cannot do much to clean the wound up and you will have to hope that the tree survives. Many will survive, but with a scar along the side. Do not be tempted to cover the wound with chemicals as they have been shown to delay healing.
For young trees that are bending under the weight of the snow or ice, remove the material as soon as possible and allow the tree to bounce back to its’ normal upright position. If the young tree shows signs of instability, then re-seat the tree and secure with lines until it has put sufficient roots down to stay upright.
Remove all the smaller branches and secure them into sizeable bundles for clean up crews. On larger properties, of course, you can compost the small branches and stack the cut branches for use as firewood next winter (not this winter though as it needs time to dry out).
Fortunately these storms do not hit the same area very often, but the effect of snow and ice on trees, if treated promptly, will not necessarily spell doom for the tree.
