Living in the Tri-Cities area comes with many great benefits. We have sun, clear skies, and plenty of beautiful scenery. But with that comes a little bit of wind in late April and early May. The wind can pick up enough to where it will do some pretty good.
The second kind of storm damage that can occur is “stem failure.” Trees do not heal their wounds. They will grow over them and seal them off. With that said, the wounded area of the tree doesn’t get stronger, it remains with the tree. That means any injury the tree has ever had will always be there. These trees will have weaker areas that will be susceptible to failure from storms.
To identify stem damage, look for any of the following:
- stem canker sores
- dark blue or staining in certain trees
- staining caused by fungus
- discoloration coupled with pitch flow
- round swellings
To properly “cure” areas impacted by stem failure, you will need to properly prune appropriate areas. Also, you will not want to damage the branch collar since it’s part of the stem. Also, do not over treat tree hollows by removing decayed wood. The only exception is if the decay falls away in your hands. If you over clean the hollows, it could lead to further damage.
Keep in mind that having trees on your property comes with a little bit of maintenance. With just a little maintenance, you can prevent most major pitfalls. You won’t have to be worried about trees causing property damage or even worse, personal injury. We look forward to discussing your tree maintenance needs. We have trained arborists in the Tri-Cities that are professional and that can answer any questions you have.