Post-storm Tree Removal & Repair

From The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)

Dana Hasson paused for a photo during a busy afternoon when he spent close to two hours aloft without a break. He works with just one other employee, who chips downed branches and directs traffic around the job, among other tasks. Hasson works with a compact chainsaw that is light enough to wield for extended periods. Note his head and eye protection and use of climbing harness and rope that will catch him if the damaged trunk gives way while he???~s aloft. Photos by Erik Skindrud

The trail of damages after a big storm shows the power of Mother Nature, and the results can be devastating, especially for trees. Unprotected, trees are vulnerable to the storm???~s damages and the wounds can look fatal. In some cases, trees need to be completely removed.

But of course, trees can be so damaged that they pose a safety hazard and must be removed. This includes the laborious process of trimming down to their roots????which are then removed with a root grinder.
First aid for damaged trees after a major storm can help trees recover. Many of the following rules apply whether you are pruning or taking the tree out.

1. Do not try to do it all yourself.

If large limbs are broken or hanging, or if ladder or overhead chain saw work is needed, it is a job for a professional arborist.

The final step of most tree-removal jobs is stump-removal. Many compact models can be used by a single operator on the ground. This promotional shot shows a grinder attachment being demonstrated on a log that is not attached to the ground. The goal in the grinding step is to clear the stump from view and to remove enough material so the stump doesn???~t sprout new growth.

2. Take safety precautions. Look up and look down.

Be on the alert and stay away from downed utility lines and dangerous hanging branches that look like they are ready to fall.

3. Assess the damages. Evaluate your trees carefully by asking the following questions:

Wind gusts exceeding 50 mph played havoc with trees across Southern California in October. The windstorm also blew up more than a dozen fires that devastated the region????and its trees. Arborists and landscapers scrambled for weeks to keep up with calls; here landscaper and arborist Dana Hasson (upper, rear) starts removing limbs in a process that will lead to the removal of the damaged Aleppo pine behind the California pepper tree up front. Experience is an invaluable key to tree-trimming, the Chino, Calif. resident explained. ???Each tree has its own process,???? he said.

Wind gusts exceeding 50 mph played havoc with trees across Southern California in October. The windstorm also blew up more than a dozen fires that devastated the region????and its trees. Arborists and landscapers scrambled for weeks to keep up with calls; here landscaper and arborist Dana Hasson (upper, rear) starts removing limbs in a process that will lead to the removal of the damaged Aleppo pine behind the California pepper tree up front. Experience is an invaluable key to tree-trimming, the Chino, Calif. resident explained. ???Each tree has its own process,???? he said.

4. Remove any broken branches or stubs still attached to the tree.

Removing the jagged remains of smaller sized broken limbs to minimize the risk of decay agents entering the wound. Smaller branches should be pruned at the point where they join larger ones. For larger branches that are broken, a professional arborist who has the necessary equipment and knowledge needed to do the job safely should cut them back to the trunk or a main limb.

5. Resist the urge to over-prune (no longer recommended).

Do not worry if the tree???~s appearance is not perfect. With branches gone, your trees may look unbalanced or naked. You will be surprised at how fast they will recover, grow new foliage, and return to their natural beauty.

Hasson cuts his way towards the crown of this Aleppo pine before using his saw to remove the trunk from the top down. Tree-climbing spikes aid his work on this removal job. But spikes can harm living trees, and are not an ISA-approved accessory on pruning jobs. Many un-ISA-certified tree workers use them inappropriately while pruning, however.

6. Do not top your trees!

Untrained individuals may urge you to cut back all of the branches, on the mistaken assumption that it will help avoid breakage in future storms. However, professional arborists say that ???topping,???? the cutting of main branches back to stubs, is extremely harmful and unhealthy for your trees. Stubs will often grow back many weakly-attached branches that are higher and are more likely to break when a storm strikes. Also, topping will reduce the amount of foliage, on which the tree depends for the food and nourishment needed for re-growth. A topped tree that has already sustained major storm damage is more likely to die than repair itself.

A qualified tree care professional can assist other contractors with tree repair or removal. To find an ISA-certified arborist, visit www.treesaregood.org or contact ISA at 1-800-ISA-Tree.

Maintenance Details

1.5 Million: The number of dead, dying or diseased trees removed in San Bernardino and Riverside (Calif.) counties by the Mountain Area Safety Task Force (MAST) since 2002. The task force was formed to thin vegetation in an effort to prevent catastrophic forest fires.

50: Percent, the amount of trees from the total above removed from private property.

650: Trees. At the height of the program, Southern California Edison contractors were taking out 650 trees a day.

Source: Mountain Area Safety Task Force