storm damaged leaning trees

17 years ago

Last Sunday we had winds constant at 40 mph from 10 AM to 7 PM, with higher gusts. Needless to say we lost several large trees. However, of the survivors, several are leaning at various angles. While we await the tree doctor's visit, we were wondering what will or should happen to the leaners particularly those with only a slight lean. These are 30 to 50 ft (10 to 15 m) trees.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
which way do they lean????

in any direction that will endanger property or more importantly .. people?

out in the middle of 100 acres ... who cares .... in suburbia ... leaning over your house.. or the neighbors... gotta go ...

what kind of trees???? are you in any particular storm area .... any mobile homes in the area [as we all know tornadoes hate them .. lol] ....

and .. why did this happen?? ... what is your native soil? .... frankly .. 40mph is not all that stiff a wind .. unless there were gusts to 60 .... i don't understand why so many of your trees were affected ... unless there is some soil issue .... could the storm have been worse than you know ... try a call to your local soil conservation district or county Ag agent for more info in that regard ....

good luck

ken
pasadena
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the good word--yes one is leaning over the garage. We have sandy soil. We also recently had several inches of precip as snow that melted all at once. Reported gusts were over 70 (in the nearby mountains over 130). The estimated damage for our two county area is in the millions. I just talked with the tree doc and he says that at this time he's just topping leaners. He hasn't even taken the chipper out of the shop garage.

The trees included Leland cypress, Englemann spruce, western red cedar, western white pine, and Modoc cypress (my prize baby; but not threaterning anything). Not bothered was our 50 ft Rocky Mountain juniper (our other prize), a line of 30ft Port Orford cedar, nor any of the deciduous trees.
Related Discussions
White Pine Tree Needs Help - Storm Damage
Q
Comments (9)
Thanks everybody. The tree is about 30' from the house. If it ever falls eastward, it will in fact hit the house. We also have a lot of oaks and maples in the back which are very tall as well. Good point about the root system. I didn't think about that. Guess I'll just have to pray it makes it. Overall, it is a healthy tree. It just got whacked really badly this time. You should have seen me out in the blizzard with a long pole knocking the snow from the branches I could reach. Took a few "butt plants" and was "dumped on" a few times :), but it was worth it. None of the lower branches broke. As I said, I LOVE that tree. I'll call the County for an arborist recommendation prior to having it pruned. Thanks again for your help. Melanie
...See More
Birch tree storm damage
Q
Comments (7)
I picked grafting wax because it sure seems to be harmless to trees and would keep stuff out of the defenseless wood. Just has to be something similar out there. My neighbor cut off an equally thick trunk/branch/section of silver maple. It is SLOWLY encapsulating it. Meanwhile moisture and bugs are starting to get into the tree. Just has to be a better way. Horticultural medical care is in its infancy.
...See More
Tree damaged in storm
Q
Comments (8)
I commiserate with you. The bad news-there's really nothing you can do. The good news? there's really nothing you need to do. The tree will go on living and may in time re-establish a new leader. Most conifers are quite good at doing so. It will just seem to you as though it's taking forever, since you really can't see what's going on up there. But no, as bad as this is, it won't kill the tree. Re-reading more of your post, I would not do a thing to anything around the tree. Your and your neighbor's commentary on what is happening with tree removal, subsequent increased winds, etc. sound spot-on to me. I'd attempt-to the greatest degree possible-to retain what mother nature has there for you.
...See More
ice storm tree damage
Q
Comments (27)
Oh, I was all set to get a whole house generator....yes indeed I was...was ready to sign on the dotted line and have it installed along with the new HVAC system we had put in. And then DH veto'd me.. You cannot imagine what satisfaction I got from him telling me I WAS RIGHT and we should have gotten it -- worth the PITA no power no water TWICE in 6 months BWAAAHAHAAHAHA! (seriously, though -- no power is one thing, no water takes it up to an entirely different level). Didn't hear about the storm Friday. But hey it's March on Wednesday and in my head that means it's S-P-R-I-N-G!
...See More
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
i would find a 'tree doc' who has a BETTER IDEA THAN TOPPING .... geez .... sounds profitable to him.. and maybe not the best thing for the trees ..... and i wouldn't trust someone who gives advice over the phone without inspection of the trees .... that all said.. i am sure he is swamped after such a storm .....

i think you have to get rid of the one hanging over the garage ASAP .... and give the others some time.. to let the pro's get over the immediate storm results ........ like that advice is any better than over the phone... lol .... frankly .. it hard to tell you what to do without pix at a minimum ...

when the emergency is over .... i would get at least 3 independent opinions as to what to do with the others .... most opinions are free ...

what do the rest of you think ....

ken
botann
17 years ago
Ken, the reason the tree doctor has not used his chipper yet is because it takes a lot of time to chip up branches. He's got emergency work to do now and will come back later to do the chipping. He is probably topping the leaners to take the weight off and will come back later to finish up cutting the tree down in pieces.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
BTW .... if you have any kind of garden .. offer to take as many wood chips as he can deliver .... subject to your property .... free is free ... ken
spruceman
17 years ago
Any tree that is leaning after a storm is really half uprooted. I would seriously consider taking any such tree down. First, the roots hare half dislodged, so the next storm or ice load may bring them down. Second, there must be torn and otherwise loosened and damaged roots. Even if they don't come down in a future storm, they may just die. I have seen this happen. I don't want any tree like that in my yard. Plant new trees--ones that have a reputation for being wind-firm, and enjoy them worry free.

--Spruce
Embothrium
17 years ago
Yes, if topping trees and then leaving them in place - indefinitely - is what is being done then he is not really a "doc." If your trees have come loose then they should come out.

Fast growing items particularly (such as cypresses) as well as any others grown in containers at any point in the production cycle - including field grown stock that started out in liner pots or bands - may have deformed roots that cause them to fall over later. When the top gets big enough the circling/kinked roots cannot provide enough anchorage. I've had foundation shrubs here topple under snow loads decades after planting. Removal revealed tight root knots at the bases of their trunks, dating way back to when they were in small pots.
pasadena
Original Author
17 years ago
Lots of great advice! Actually, the fellow I'm working with is not a tree doctor but a tree feller referred to us by the insurance company. After we get things stablized we'll bring in a tree service. However, I'm guessing our grouping of seven or so mature conifers is pretty much a complete loss. See it as an opportunity for a landscape makeover.
Embothrium
17 years ago
Absolutely. Failure of existing specimens making room for new plantings has been called garden opportunism.

Since I saw 'resin' posting how to make italics and bold print appear here I just can't stop.