In the aftermath of a storm, the initial impulse of property owners is to get things cleaned up as quickly as possible. But hasty decisions can often result in removing trees that could have been saved. Be sure to ask yourself the questions in the section Can My Tree Be Saved?

Doing the right things after trees have been damaged can mean the difference between giving your trees a good chance of survival and losing them unnecessarily. Texas A&M Forest Service urges home and property owners to follow a few simple rules in administering tree first aid after a storm:

1. Don’t try to do it all yourself. If large limbs are broken or hanging, or if high-climbing or overhead chainsaw work is needed, it’s a job for a professional arborist. They have the necessary equipment and knowledge needed, and are generally listed in the telephone directory under Tree Service. Look for ISA Certified Arborists.
2. Take safety precautions. Look up and look down. Be on the alert for downed power lines and dangerous hanging branches that look like they’re ready to fall. Stay away from any downed utility lines and low-voltage telephone or cable lines. Even fence wires can become electrically charged when there are fallen or broken electrical lines nearby. Don’t get under broken limbs that are hanging or caught in other branches overhead. And, unless you really know how to use one, leave chainsaw work to the professionals.
3. Remove any broken branches still attached to the tree. Removing the jagged remains of smaller sized broken limbs is one common repair that property owners can make after a storm. If done properly, it will minimize the risk of decay agents entering the wound. Large branches that are broken should be cut back to the trunk or a main limb by an arborist. Smaller branches should be pruned at the point where they join larger ones. Follow the pruning guidelines shown in the illustration to make clean cuts in the right places, helping the tree recover faster.(see Illustration 1)
   
   

   Illustration 1 Because of its weight a branch can tear loose during pruning, stripping the bark and creating jagged edges that invite insects and disease. Follow these steps to prevent that from happening. A. Make a partial cut from beneath, at a point several inches away from the trunk. B. Make a second cut from above several inches out from the first cut, to allow the limb to fall safely. C. Complete the job with a final cut just outside the branch collar, the raised area that surrounds the branch where it joins the trunk.



4. Repair torn bark. To improve the tree’s appearance and eliminate hiding places for insects, carefully use a chisel or sharp knife to smooth the ragged edges of wounds where bark has been torn away. Try not to expose any more of the cambium (greenish inner bark) than is necessary, as these fragile layers contain the tree’s food and water lifelines between roots and leaves. (see Illustration 2)
   
   

   Illustration 2 Smoothing the ragged edge of torn bark helps the wound heal faster and eliminates hiding places for insects

   
   Smoothing the ragged edge of torn bark helps the wound heal faster and eliminates hiding places for insects.


5. Resist the urge to over prune. Don’t worry if the tree’s appearance isn’t perfect. With branches gone, your trees may look unbalanced or naked. You’ll be surprised at how fast they will heal, grow new foliage and return to their natural beauty.
6. Don’t top your trees! Untrained individuals may urge you to cut back all of the branches on the mistaken assumption that reducing the length of branches will help avoid breakage in future storms. However, stubs will tend to grow lots of weakly-attached branches that are even more likely to break when a storm strikes. Also, the tree will need all its resources to recover from the stress of storm damage.
   Topping the tree will reduce the amount of foliage, on which the tree depends for the food and nourishment needed for regrowth. A topped tree that has already sustained major storm damage is more likely to die than repair itself. At best, its recovery will be slowed and it will almost never regain its original shape or beauty. (see Illustration 3)
   
   

   Illustration 3 Never cut the main branches of a tree back to stubs. Ugly, weakly attached limbs will often grow back higher than the original branches and be more likely to break off in a future storm.