There are many reasons why people choose to plant trees on their property, which include to improve the appearance of the landscape and to provide shade. It's often necessary for homeowners to contact a tree service to trim their trees, care for diseased trees and to remove trees. We aren't affiliated with tree service professionals but we think homeowners should understand the importance of tree specialists and why their services are needed. We researched tree care and talked to professionals in the tree service industry to obtain the information we needed for this blog. As you read these articles, you'll learn when it's necessary to contact a tree service to maintain and care for your trees.
The Importance of Tree Services for Maintenance and Care
Five Tips to Save Flood Affected Trees
Lynn Lee
Flooding can cause major damage to your landscaping, even the large trees in your yard aren't immune. Fortunately, the right actions following the flood can often save the trees.
1. Remove All Debris
After a flood, chances are there is some debris around the tree. Branches, garbage, leaves, and other debris cover the soil over the roots and slow down the drying process in the soil. Remove all of this debris to allow the soil to dry more quickly. Keep in mind that tree roots can extend out as far underground as the crown branches extend overhead, so you may need to rake up debris over a large portion of your property if the tree is large.
2. Pull Back the Mulch
Although mulch usually helps with tree health, it can actually hurt your tree after a flood. Mulch traps moisture in the soil and slows evaporation, which means waterlogged soil will stay boggy as long as the mulch is in place. Temporarily pull back the mulch so it doesn't cover the roots. If you plan to reapply it afterward, load it onto a tarp and haul it to a sunny area. This way the mulch isn't covering the soil and it can dry out so it doesn't break down too quickly once you reapply it.
3. Trim Out Damaged Wood
Depending on the severity of the flood and the form of the tree, lower branches and parts of the trunk may have suffered damage during the flood event. Any damaged branches need to be promptly trimmed off so that they don't attract diseases or fungal infections. A clean pruning wound will heal much more quickly than a ragged wound caused by damage. If the bark on the tree is damaged, your tree service can clean it up so that the wound heals and seals over more quickly.
4. Aerate the Soil
When flooding causes especially heavy waterlogging in the soil, steps may be necessary to dry it more quickly so that the roots don't drown and suffocate. Your tree service may recommend aeration, which means that they will remove plugs of soil to open it up. Flooding often causes soil to saturate and compact, which exacerbates root suffocation. Opening up the soil increases air circulation, which dries the soil more quickly and ensures oxygen reaches the roots.
5. Reduce the Crown
If the flood was severe or the soil takes a while to dry out, then some root loss is likely to occur. If this is a concern, it is best to have a professional service assess the health of the tree to determine whether crown reduction may help. Crown reduction is when the canopy of the tree is thinned and trimmed back to a size that is less stressful for the roots to support. Trimming in this manner ensures that the surviving roots can expend their energy to support a crown that is sized properly to the reduced root mass.
Contact a tree service for more help with your flooded trees, and visit a site such as https://www.hodgsontreeservice.com/ for more information.
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