Thunderstorms, tornadoes and severe windstorms are a common occurrence on the Plains, causing damage to plants and structures. Luckily, there are things we can do to make our landscapes more resilient and weather-ready. Follow these tips to help your trees and other plants stand up to high winds.
After a Storm or Tornado
1. Remove any dead or damaged branches if you can do so safely. Give a clean cut to anything twisted, hanging, torn, cracked or split. Pruning trees is dangerous work, so consult a professional for more extensive pruning or removal. Find a certified arborist near you at www.nearborists.org or www.treesaregood.org.
2. Employ proper pruning techniques. When pruning, cut just above the branch collar, leaving it intact—don’t cut flush to the trunk or leave stubs. Make notches first with the “3-cut” method to avoid ripping off bark as the branch falls away. Do not treat pruned areas with wound paint or dressing, which can cause wood rot.
3. Take out trees that were damaged beyond saving. This includes large trees that have been uprooted, have trunk splits or more than 50% of branches broken as well as large trees that bent over or are leaning. Small trees younger than 3-4 years old may survive being bent over; stake into an upright position with wide, flexible straps.
4. Encourage recovery with good plant health care. Mulch the entire area beneath the plant’s foliage with shredded leaves or wood and provide deep, infrequent watering for the rest of the growing season so the soil is moist, not soggy or dry. Use a screwdriver to help determine the need for irrigation.
5. Safeguard plants from extra stress. Damaged plants are vulnerable to environmental stresses in the months following a storm. To promote healing during this time, do not apply fertilizer or spray herbicides in the vicinity. Don’t remove damaged leaves or blooms—allow them to fall off naturally. Keep an eye out for opportunistic pests and diseases and take action early on to prevent infestation.
Before the Next Storm or Tornado
1. Prune trees correctly when they are young. Training trees to develop a strong, sturdy branch structure before they reach 15-20 years of age is critical to prevent major breakage once they are mature. Conversely, waiting to remove problematic limbs until they are larger increases the likelihood of disease and decay.
2. Do not allow codominant trunks to develop on shade trees. When a tree has a fork where a branch and the trunk are the same size (codominant), it will be prone to breakage. One side should be pruned out, preferably early on so the wound is small.
Additionally, beware other issues that can lead to major breakage including over-pruning (“thinning” or “opening up” the canopy), topping and tipping.
3. Separate trees from the lawn and mulch them. Growing a tree in mulch rather than in the lawn can increase resilience to storms at any age. Maintain an area of mulch at least six feet wide and 2-4 inches deep all the way around the trunk. Use organic material (not rubber or rock) and avoid landscape fabric and plastic weed barrier. Underplant with shrubs or groundcovers as desired.
4. Protect the soil under your trees. Refrain from any construction or trenching activities within 20 feet of a tree’s trunk, as the resulting root cuts can cause instability and blowover later. Earthwork, including cutting away soil or adding it, as well as driving or parking vehicles, should also be avoided anywhere underneath the canopy.
5. Interplant for added resilience. Consider planting new trees or large shrubs next to existing trees where you have room, since trees in groups are more likely to come through a storm intact than lone specimens. A group of trees should include five or more, each planted within ten feet of another but not in a line.
6. Be thoughtful about planting trees near structures. Select trees with dense wood and strong branch angles that are less susceptible to breakage (such as Kentucky coffeetree, white oak or bald cypress) over weaker, fast-growing species. Locate at least 15 feet away from roofs and 20 feet away from beneath power lines.
7. Avoid costly mistakes when planting trees. A tree planted too deeply or strangled by one of its own roots has a worse chance of surviving high winds. Inspect the rootball for defects before purchasing. The entire trunk flare should be completely unearthed and positioned above ground at planting time and any circling roots should be cut or redirected outward before filling the hole.
Regularly monitor your trees for signs of decay. Visible symptoms include fungal growth on bark, discolored wood, cavities, cankers and large wounds. Decay causes wood to weaken over time, so assess and address issues as soon as you see them.
