Helping trees survice ice storms

Carrie Tomlinson
TREE SENSE

January 25, 2007 11:55 pm

— Count your blessings because we’ve been extremely lucky the last two weeks. If last week’s temperature had been a little warmer, we would have received freezing rain and not sleet, leaving us in the same condition as other parts of the state. If the temperature had been a little colder last weekend, we would have received freezing rain instead of just rain.
We’ve been dodging bullets like we’re in the “Matrix.” It’s important to realize we’re not out the woods yet with the possibility of colder weather this
weekend.
Keep your fingers crossed and we might make it through the winter without an incident.
You’re not powerless, however, to help the situation when it comes to trees.
First, make sure your tree is properly pruned for structural stability. It is important to prune for strength.
Remove branches that have narrow branch angles and areas where the bark is squished between the branches and the trunk.
You want every branch to be strongly connected to the trunk, which usually means a branch growing at a 90-70 degree angle to the trunk or as close as possible to this. As that angle narrows, the branch becomes weaker and more likely to break off the trunk.
Second, prune out all dead limbs and properly thin the live limbs in the tree. A good rule of thumb is to not remove more than 25 percent of the total branch area of a tree every other year.
This will allow the tree to stay vigorous and healthy but remove limbs that could add weight to the tree in the event of ice.
If ice does come, I have known people to be successful at monitoring the ice build-up and then using a long stick or pole pruner to knock the ice off so it cannot accumulate.
A good whack with a stick can sometimes be effective in lessening the load on the tree. However, be careful doing this.
Also, do not attempt this near electric lines. This seems like a no-brainer, but you never know. I would recommend this method with extreme caution on smaller trees.
All of these bits of knowledge are second nature to a qualified ISA certified arborist who can help you prepare for the big one.
If you need to find a certified arborist go to www.treesaregood.com and put in your ZIP code to find a list of them in your area.
Also, Edmond Electric along with the Tree Bank Foundation of Oklahoma have produced a handy pictorial guide called “Standing Tall,” which shows you what steps to take after your tree is damaged from ice.
You may obtain one of these guides by calling Carrie Tomlinson at 359-4799.
The guide won a statewide environmental award last year and was redesigned by Edmond Electric to distribute to Hurricane Katrina-devastated areas.
(Carrie Tomlinson is the urban forester for the City of Edmond.)