Tree huggers, take heart: Its possible to save storm-damaged trees

The powerful thunderstorms that tore through the Coulee Region last week downed dozens of trees and left even more damaged and missing limbs.

But its still possible to save your battered, beloved trees with the help of qualified arborists.

Youve got to take each tree as an individual, said Dave Johnson, a certified arborist and owner of Johnson Operating Services in Holmen. But if the tree hasnt tipped over, it can survive pretty much anything.

The first step to saving a tree is to enlist the help of an expert who can assess the situation. If its standing by itself near a house, playground or power lines, rehabilitation can be more difficult. But if the tree is in a more remote area or surrounded by other trees, the safety risk is lower.

Storm-damaged trees can be particularly dangerous, and safety to people and property is the first priority when certified arborists respond, said Glen Stanosz, a UW-Madison professor of tree and forest health. Sometimes, removal of damaged parts is possible, with retention of the tree. In some cases, the appearance or structural integrity of a tree might be so compromised that tree removal is appropriate.

Once safety has been established, the next step is cleaning up the trees wounds, Johnson said. Areas where a tree has been damaged or lost limbs will eventually start to decay, but proper pruning cuts will help the tree recover. Johnson recommends cutting damaged limbs down to a smaller branch, at least one-third of the size of the original.

Many of the trees uprooted in last Saturdays storm were some of the citys large, older trees that may have been slightly decayed, making them less structurally sound, Johnson said. Trees with weaker wood such as cottonwoods and silver maples lose branches more readily than hardwood trees like oaks.

Any type of tree is susceptible to storm damage, but there are several tree attributes and site characteristics that can increase the likelihood, Stanosz said. Moist or loose soil can decrease root stability, nearby buildings can channel wind gusts and trees can be weakened by construction near the root zone or tree structure decay. Trees with a thick, full crown of leaves can catch the wind, increasing the likelihood of blowing over.

And for those planting new saplings to replace those lost in the storm, Johnson emphasizes the importance of regular pruning to foster healthy growth and a strong branch structure.

In a natural forest habitat, trees compete to survive by growing voraciously so their leaves can capture as much sunlight as possible. But in a backyard setting, with plenty of sunlight, nutrients and water, the trees crown can become overgrown.

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Tree huggers, take heart: Its possible to save storm-damaged trees