It’s the time of the year when storms are visiting various places more often, and preparing the trees for these natural disasters is a must. During this time of the year, many trees are getting damaged, especially the mature and weak ones. To prevent damage from happening, homeowners should avail themselves of cabling and bracing services that arborists offer. These are the techniques that professionals use to help trees become more stable.
If you avail yourself of these services, you’re not just protecting the trees, but also other people and things around them. Besides, if the trees are protected, no one can get hurt, and properties won’t get damaged by falling tree branches or trees.
In this article, we’ll dive into the benefits of tree cabling and bracing and why arborists do these to prevent storm damage.
What Is Tree Cabling and Bracing?
Tree cabling and tree bracing are both structural support systems that help the trunk and limbs of trees stay strong. However, cabling and bracing are not always allowed in every instance. Usually, the arborists conduct an assessment first to see if a tree can still qualify for any of these structural supports. If not, the other option is tree removal.
Meanwhile, even though bracing and cabling are both used for structural support, they still have their differences.
Tree Cabling
As the name suggests, tree cabling is done by adding high-quality cables between two major limbs of the tree to keep them together. This also prevents them from moving too much when there’s a storm or strong wind.
Usually, tree cabling is done when the tree canopy is too high, and it needs enough support to prevent it from snapping.
Tree Bracing
Similar to teeth braces, tree bracing also uses rods that are inserted into the trunk of major branches for additional support, and prevent them from splitting. Since the rod is inserted into the tree trunk, this kind of support is ideal for trees that need significant support.
However, for the worst-case scenario, the trees are installed with both the cabling and bracing.
Why Trees Need Structural Support
Not all trees are the same. Some grow with great build, but others have a complicated structure. If you’re not sure whether the trees in your yard need structural support, here are some things you need to consider:
Weak branches
Overextended branches that can be damaged by strong winds
Trees that have been compromised by the previous storms
Affected by diseases or decaying trees
Cracked branches
So, once you see that the trees in your yard have some of these problems, don’t hesitate to call your local arborist and let them do what’s necessary.
Assessing the Need for Cabling and Bracing
Once you inform the arborist about the current status of the trees in your yard, the next step is to visual inspection. During this step, the arborist inspects the trees for decay, cracks, and other signs of decay. Once they’ve seen some of these signs, they’ll proceed with evaluating the possible outcomes if the situation isn’t taken care of. Lastly, they’ll consider various factors, such as the age, species, growth patterns, and overall health of the tree.
Once all of the process is done, they’ll decide on the right thing to do to save the trees.
The Cabling and Bracing Process
The arborists decide the type of hardware the trees need based on the assessment. Once determined, they plan and design the right cable or brace for the trees. After that, the installation takes place. Once installed, the arborists will conduct some tests and see whether the installed brace or cables are enough to support the trees during natural disasters.
If things are looking good, they’ll still conduct follow-ups and maintenance to ensure that the tree is responding well to its new form.
Benefits of Cabling and Bracing
Aside from having support and preventing falling, cabling and bracing also extend the life of mature trees, minimise liability, avoid tree removal, and preserve the landscape of the property. Since it takes years before a tree grows fully, it’s best to take the best measures to save them.
When to Call a Professional
As mentioned, once you observe some signs that the trees around you need structural support, don’t hesitate to call your local arborist. Besides, even if the trees don’t need braces or cables, this can be the right time to have them checked and see if everything’s right.
Meanwhile, if you don’t like having to call an arborist for emergencies, it’s best to schedule maintenance at least once a year, always observe the trees, and take care of them at all times.
Final Thoughts
Tree cabling and bracing are both essential in ensuring that the trees have structural support, especially during the storm season. However, these should be done correctly to work. So, if you’re not an expert, it’s not recommended to DIY, and just call your local arborist instead.
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