After heavy snowfall or a blizzard, you won’t be alone when it comes to feeling the stress brought on by this severe weather. Your tree suffers from these extreme winter conditions and, in some cases, it leaves your tree’s branches bent over. This stress placed on your tree can have damaging or fatal effects, leaving your yard in a mess. There are ways to handle this problem without damaging your tree any further.
Don’t Shake Your Tree
At first glance, your instinct will tell you to shake your tree’s branches that are stacked by snow. However, the best course of action in such a situation is no action at all.
Heavy snow and ice weaken tree branches. If you shake these brittle branches, you could snap them and cause more damage to your tree or even to nearby properties.
Brush Your Tree
If you’re so eager to tend to your tree’s affected branches once the snow has fallen, you can do so when it is light, dry, or fluffy. Should this be the case, use a broom to brush off the snow. This action is most helpful for evergreens as they are more prone to damage from snowfall. Do this during or right after a snow storm once the snow has softened. The last thing you want is to wait until the snow has frozen, putting more pressure on branches and putting them at further risk if more precipitation is ahead. If snow has covered branches for a long while, resist the urge and wait until it has fully melted.
Move your brush upwards instead of sweeping from the top down as the latter will put more pressure on the branches. Ensure your brush has soft bristles so you can brush with some finesse.
Spring Inspection
Once winter has concluded and temperatures have risen, give your tree a thorough inspection. Check your tree for any breakage and examine the condition of its branches to make sure all is well. If any large branches may have been damaged or broken as a result of snow and they need removal, professionals such as Jackson Tree Service are just a phone call away.
Look at the soil and root structure of your tree to ensure there are no signs of uprooting or other types of damage. Remove any small, broken twigs if they are lying around as well as any other debris you spot. Spring is coming and you’ll want to enjoy it.
Prune Your Branches
Once you have completed all of these practices, make it a priority to prune your tree to get rid of any weak or damaged limbs ahead of the next winter. You can attempt it yourself or call a tree service to do a detailed pruning. Regular pruning ensures your tree is as strong as possible for the remainder of the year.
If you’re not sure about your strategy or how to handle snow-affected tree branches, Jackson Tree Service will offer you the advice and help you need. Get in touch right away!