Author: 7ukel

Look over your trees as soon as the storm has passed and it’s safe to be outside, then again over the following days and weeks. Trees with damage near the house, driveway, or power lines should get attention first. The First Look Once the wind has died down and there’s daylight, walk the property and…

Look for visible changes: dead or broken branches, cracks in the trunk or large limbs, a new or worsening lean, damaged or exposed roots, and parts of the canopy that look thin or discolored. A walk-around won’t answer every question, but it helps you spot what may warrant closer evaluation. Start at the Base Pay…

Start by figuring out how much damage the roots are causing and whether the tree can handle any root work. Options range from repairing or redesigning the surface to removing selected roots, and root removal isn’t always the right answer. Why Roots End Up Under Pavement Roots grow where they find water and air, and…

Cutting large roots can weaken a tree’s hold on the ground and reduce its ability to take up water. Depending on how many are cut and where, the effects range from mild stress to decline or a greater chance of the tree tipping over. Effects on Stability Large roots near the trunk act like anchors.…

Sometimes, but it carries real risk to the tree. Small roots can often be removed with limited effect, while cutting large roots near the trunk can harm both the tree’s health and its stability. Why Roots Matter So Much Roots do two jobs. They anchor the tree in the ground, and they take up water…

It depends on where the branches fell, whose tree they came from, and the rules and insurance policies involved. Many people start by handling what landed on their own property, but that isn’t a rule to rely on without checking your own situation. Factors That Affect Responsibility Because these vary so much, no single answer…

Often, yes, but not always. Whether a storm-damaged tree can be saved depends mostly on how badly its trunk, main branches, and roots were hurt, not on how messy it looks the next morning. Damage Trees Often Recover From Trees can grow over pruning wounds and push out new leaves. Removing the broken pieces cleanly…

Start by keeping people away from the tree, checking for downed power lines from a distance, and taking photos of the damage. Then sort out whether anything urgent is threatened, and get help with the cleanup instead of cutting damaged wood yourself. First Steps Once the Weather Clears If a line is down or a…

Crown thinning removes selected branches from inside the canopy to make it less dense, while crown reduction shortens branches to make the canopy smaller. Put simply, thinning changes how full a tree is, and reduction changes how big it is. Two Different Goals Picture a tree that shades your whole backyard. If the problem is…

Not automatically. Crown thinning can remove crowded, rubbing, or weak branches, but it isn’t a health treatment, and a healthy tree doesn’t need thinning just to stay that way. What Texas Guidance Says Texas A&M Forest Service puts it plainly in its advice on pruning mature trees: routine thinning doesn’t always make trees healthier. The…