Especially if your landscape includes any large and/or old trees, a weather forecast that calls for storms or heavy rains can cause anxiety for a homeowner. That’s because big trees are notorious for falling after heavy rains. It can leave us scratching our heads: The tree looks so big and strong. How can something as simple as rain make it fall when other trees remain standing?
Usually, it’s due to the part of the tree we can’t see. Buried under that majestic tree is probably a weak or otherwise compromised root system.
Spring is just around the corner, ushering in two seasons of thunderstorms and heavy Tennessee rains. Our certified arborists in Johnson City are sharing today why big trees fall after heavy rains and how you can prevent that tree damage to your home and property.
Saturated soil
One heavy rainstorm may not usually be enough to topple giant trees. But an already-saturated ground increases the risks.
But soil can become soggy for other reasons besides rain:
- New home builds
- Landscaping
- Overwatering
- Root rot
Building new home foundations or landscaping your lawn alters underground water movement and drainage around trees. Trees prefer moist soil, but they don’t flourish when the soil is soggy. A highly saturated ground can also promote the growth of a dangerous type of fungus called root rot. Our ISA-certified arborists in Kingsport can contour the surface of your property and/or install pipes, improving drainage on your property and directing water away from trees.
Dead limbs
A lot of dead or dying, vulnerable tree limbs spell potential disaster in a heavy storm. It’s also a good idea to inspect your larger trees. Do you notice any area where trees have places with two stems — in approximately the same diameter — growing out of the same place, creating a “V”? If so, those branches are called co-dominant stems, and they make a tree susceptible to falling over with strong winds during storms.
Our Bristol tree specialists are trained to spot problem areas on your trees and can also remove dead and dying wood from the canopies to help prevent serious risks to your person and property.
Shallow roots
When trees grow, they need deep watering to encourage strong, deep roots. Many people mistakenly believe that trees and plants benefit from daily, shorter watering, but that’s not the case. Those brief waterings only water the top layer of soil, preventing the roots from stretching deep into the ground for needed water. Shallow roots cannot adequately anchor a tall, heavy tree into the ground.
Arborists in Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol, Tennessee
Proper pruning of your trees helps keep them healthy, but it’s hard — if possible — to maintain large trees without proper equipment. It’s also dangerous to try to do it yourself. Our ISA-certified arborists at Promier Tree in the Tri-cities area have the education, training and experience to tackle all of your tree needs to protect your home and your family during all four seasons of the year. Give us a call at (423) 872-2988, or contact us online today.