Trees and Our Mild Winter (so far)

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the mild winter weather we’ve had so far.  After the damaging storms of the summer and fall 2020, it’s nice to hear the quiet that comes from a lack of high winds and gusts.

As you might guess, those of us in the tree service business have been busy with cleanup after these storm events.  It’s heartbreaking to see beautiful, old trees broken or literally uprooted by Mother Nature and the recent cold weather only makes some trees, like spruce, more vulnerable because the deciduous trees nearby have lost their leaves.  These evergreens are facing the brunt of winter winds at a time when they can be brittle due to extreme cold.

When the worst happens, weight is an important factor when removing material.  The weight of a tree depends on the type and height of a tree, among other factors.  In the warmer months, a tree weighs more because of leaves.  If you want to satisfy your inner geek, this is a good resource for calculating the weight of your trees.  The quick answer is that trees are usually measured in tons and not pounds, unless you’re talking about a very young specimen.

Arborists want to save a tree if at all possible while making sure that people and property are safe.  Sometimes a tree will split so that its own limbs or the limbs of neighboring trees hold dead wood aloft.  To safely remove several tons of material from a precarious position in the air takes experience, equipment, patience, and more experience.  Never walk under a hanging limb because that could go at any time.  Dial your favorite arborist as soon as possible.

Material that has made it to the ground—usually with a sickening thud—is more stable, of course, but anyone who’s been through the experience knows that trees spread on the ground are met with the phrase, “It looks so much bigger now.”  It takes time and effort to cut trees and prep them as firewood and chip less desirable wood.  Here, the right equipment can save backs and therefore lives.

When trees hit homes and cars, the result is miserable but a little less so when you have your ducks in a row before the storm hits.  Check that you’ve bought the right homeowner’s insurance and found a trusted arborist, someone who is skilled in tree service and carries the proper tree work insurance.  Knowing who to call, like us at Tree-Scape and Fitch, will make dealing with tree damage easier.

And here’s hoping Mother Nature will continue to be kind to us in terms of good weather.