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What ACTION to take on FREEZE-DAMAGED TREES

The latest cold snap is wreaking havoc on many trees. The combination of wind and freezing temperatures can cause limbs to break off, even fall completely to the ground or need to take help from the Tree Removal Glen Waverley service provider. If you have a tree that’s damaged by this weather event, it’s important to act now before further damage occurs.

Arborist Melbourne

Prune out dead wood

  • Prune out dead branches and twigs: Dead limbs should be pruned out as soon as possible.
  • Prune out dead and damaged branches: The branch may look good to you, but it is dead and will only rot away. If you have any doubt about the health of a branch, cut it off well above any signs of decay at its base. Cutting into live wood is not necessary for safety; it just makes for a cleaner wound that will heal faster. If there are long shoots growing in front of your hand-sawed edge, use clippers or loppers to trim them back before removing the old limb completely with a bow saw or chainsaw.

Do not fertilize trees until they’ve leafed out and show obvious new growth.

As per Arborist in Melbourne, fertilizing trees after they leaf out and show obvious new growth. Fertilizing too early can cause a tree to put on excessive growth early in the spring, which will be damaged when it freezes later on.

Fertilize in the spring, not in the fall. Fertilizing trees before winter is also risky because it may not have time to process all that food, or you could be depositing some of your fertilizer right inside where it’s needed most—the root system!

Fertilize in the fall, not in the spring: If you’re going to fertilize at all (and that’s up for debate), then do so during late summer or early fall when temperatures are cooler than those typically reached during February through April.

Take action on damaged trees and shrubs now.

  • Remove dead or dying trees.
  • Remove dead branches from healthy trees when they are small enough to handle safely.
  • Remove any damaged branches that threaten to fall onto a house, power lines or other areas where people might be present or passing by. This could include branches that are rubbing against each other and those that have broken off during the storm but may still be hanging on by their bark.

Remove dead or dying trees.

One of the first things to do is remove dead or dying trees. This will keep their rotting wood out of the environment, and it will help with your cleanup efforts. If you have any questions regarding Tree Removal Glen Waverley, consult an arborist.

  • Don’t fertilize damaged trees until they’ve leafed out and show obvious new growth.
  • Be careful when removing branches from large trees so that you don’t damage nearby power lines or create other dangers for yourself or others in your community.

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, trees can be a huge part of your yard and home. Unfortunately, sometimes they can also be a liability. But with the right knowledge, you can maintain them properly to prevent these problems from happening in the first place.