If you're in Northwest Houston, you most likely know that severe storms sometimes arrive in an instant. Before you know it, the storm leaves behind a trail of destruction, probably requiring a complete revamping of your backyard. While storms are unpreventable, you want to reduce loss and potential hazards caused by drastic weather changes and gain peace of mind. Let's learn some proactive measures you can undertake to sustain your tree health.

Does Pruning Really Prevent Storm Damage?

Tree pruning is one effective way to reduce tree damage during severe weather conditions. It involves adjusting the tree structure and establishing a strong support system to achieve resilience during strong winds. With tree pruning, a tree expert will identify and cut off tree parts, such as damaged limbs or dead branches, that would fly off with the first gust of wind.

Effective tree pruning will improve the overall structure of the tree and its health. Besides removing dead limbs, the process trickles down to air and sunlight exposure, eliminating the chances of fungal infections. Hence, you won't have to deal with loss of roots or trunk damage. If the central trunk is rotten or damaged, an expert will advise cutting off the whole tree to prevent potential property damage.

Preventing Storm Damage with Proper Tree Pruning Techniques

Proper tree pruning is based on a proper understanding of the architecture and anatomy of trees. Below are pruning techniques a good tree service provider should employ:

Cleaning is a basic pruning technique involving the removal of dead, diseased, or broken branches. Broken or weak branches easily detach from the tree during strong winds, potentially damaging property or life. This method is also crucial in preventing disease or infection from spreading to major branches, hollow trunks, and roots.

Thinning: This is an intelligent step aimed at reducing the overall density of live branches. A tree health expert focuses on the edge of the crown rather than the interior to ensure the whole tree gets enough air circulation. As such, the tree grows strong and sturdy, gaining a structure that is resilient to storm winds and allowing optimal wind flow.

Crown raising: The technique aims to provide vertical clearance for property, power lines, or nearby objects. As such, the tree expert will shorten or eliminate lower branches. However, this method is subjective to the tree species, especially considering the objects that need vertical clearance.

Being Proactive: The Benefits of Seasonal Trimming

While it's imperative to first start with property safety, it pains a little to service emergency tree care before every storm. Two things: The services are mostly expensive because of the extent of damage to your unchecked trees, and the solutions may require time. Now that you're reading this, you may wonder why seasonal trimming makes storm-proof trees:

Prolongs tree lifespan

Seasonal trimming eliminates dead or infected tree parts on time before the parasites or fungi spread to major limbs. Thus, you have an effective regimen to facilitate your trees' architecture and promote deep root systems.

Prevents pests

Seasonal trimming allows you to keep your trees in check even when they're most susceptible to pests like hurricane seasons. As such, professional tree services will avoid trimming then to reduce the exposure to pests that thrive in water and do it more during winter.

Enhances safety

Seasonal trimming will keep your trees in shape, from roots up to the cone edge, every season. Elite tree care services employ effective steps every season to leave the required tree shape and appearance.

Follow these Pruning Tips to Prevent Storm Damage

Pruning with a combination of tree species and a strategic tree placement plan are pro tips every responsible tree owner in Houston employs. These include strong, deep-rooted trees that remain standing even after hurricane seasons, such as pine oaks, black gum, river birch, Caribbean pine, and bald cypress. Such trees also have a resilient structure and can have a longer lifespan with regular tree maintenance.

With a strategic tree placement plan, you can enhance the natural wind buffering capacity and reduce potential hazards from falling branches.

Should You Hire a Professional to Prune Your Trees?

Professional tree maintenance services do more than just thinning your trees. They assess tree stability, sturdiness, and weight. As such, they uncover any underlying issues weighing down your tree's health. For sturdier trees, a professional will establish a regular timing for tree trimming, tell when a tree cannot withstand impending storms, and help with safe tree removal.

They'll also help identify dead limbs, which mostly appear alive to a layman. Tree or debris removal is also taxing without expert help.

Contact Monster Tree Today to Schedule a Professional Tree Trimming Consultation

We hope you've learned the sheer benefits of regular and seasonal tree trimming. Your trees achieve optimal health and remain rooted in hostile weather, often hard to achieve without expert help. Besides, your post-storm care becomes more manageable. Reach out to Monster Tree to start your tree maintenance journey today.