Houston – Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen extensive tree damage to homes and businesses in our area. On May 16th a mother of 4 in Southeast Houston was killed when a tree fell on her car. That got us thinking about tree safety and when it might be appropriate to cut or trim your trees.
KPRC 2′s Bill Barajas met up with Master Arborist Brad Phillips the owner of ArborTrue for a “Q&A” type interview:
WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO TREE SAFETY?
Hire an arborist certified by the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture). Attempting to perform tree work is a great way to end up in the emergency room. It’s the most dangerous industry in North America.
WHEN MIGHT WE CONSIDER TRIMMING OR CHOPPING DOWN A TREE?
Remove a dead or dangerous tree any time of year and as soon as you notice it. Waiting to remove a dead tree is extremely dangerous. Trees in warm humid climates do not stand very long after death.
Regular maintenance pruning can be done any time of year on most trees. For flowering trees, like Magnolias, wait until the flowers are done, in fall.
Pine trees are best pruned in winter or in summer, avoid spring and fall pruning as it will make sap run down the tree and attract pine bark beetles.
For heavy pruning (removal of more than 25% of the canopy) wait until winter to reduce the stress.
WHAT ARE THE FEW THINGS MOST OF US COULD LOOK OUT FOR?
Look for fungal growth around the base of the tree, on the trunk. Don’t be bothered with mushrooms growing in the grass, those are usually beneficial to the tree. Never use a weed killer or weed and feed if you have trees.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU SHOULD BE INSPECTING THE TREE/LIMBS OR BRANCHES FOR?
Look for “U” shaped branch unions, we like strong “U” shaped unions. “V” shaped branch unions are likely to break.
Look for branches that are crossing over and rubbing on each other. That creates weakness in the crown (canopy) of the tree.
Look for dead limbs to remove, especially those that are large enough to cause injury or damage when they fall.
Look for Mistletoe in winter, it is parasitic and will kill the tree over time.
IS THERE ANY TYPE OF TREE OR TREES WE SHOULD BE CONCERED ABOUT?
Post Oaks have been dying off in Texas since the drought of 2011 due to constantly changing weather patterns. Slow growing trees don’t adjust well to rapid change.
Arizona Ash, Water Oak, Laurel Oak, Willow Oak only live about 50 years and die rather suddenly. In the last quadrant of life they shed large heavy limbs that pose a serious risk to property and health.
Silver Maples, they are soft and they break easily in Houston winds. They are also highly susceptible to various diseases.
Italian Cypress, not much of a risk to property but they are a poor choice for the Houston heat and humidity.
IS THE WEATHER THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO TREES/BRANCHES FALLING?
There are many causes co-occurring and most of them are probably caused by climate change. The increasing summer temperatures followed by record low winters, floods and droughts are making tree safety and health challenging. Fewer and fewer tree species are able to fight the insect and disease pressures presented with the whacky and extreme weather conditions.
WHEN WE ARE CONSIDERING TREE TRIMMING SERVICES, WHAT SHOULD A CONSUMER TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?
Hire an ISA Certified Arborist and read the online reviews. Look for a company that happily shares its address publicly and has more than 20 reviews.
IF YOU SEE SIGNS THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS TREE IS POISING A DANGER TO YOUR HOME OR OTHERS IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO?
Hire an ISA Certified Arborist to visit with you and your neighbor. They can help develop a cohesive plan to mitigate or remove the risk. If that is not an option, a certified letter can be sent to the neighbor informing them of the risk. That will usually produce action. In the event the tree fails and damages property after notice has been received and “reasonable” time to rectify has expired, liability for the tree damage will be placed on the notified owner of the tree. Remember, if any part of the tree trunk is on both properties, the tree is owned 50/50 by both parties.