Toronto arborists detail areas to check for tree defects

Recently Ontree’s arborists have noticed a few trees that are exhibiting stresses from the storm of December 2013. Some trees may have had defects which remained hidden from view, such as internal cavities and rot, and the storm weakened those areas. Now, with the spring, extra stresses are being exerted on tree structure which can result in failure of limbs and the whole tree.

Leaves

Leaves add a massive amount of weight to limbs and trees as a whole. They also add wind resistance meaning wind does not filter through the tree as much as it does in winter. This can add extra stress on limbs, particularly if they are over thinned lower in the crown.

Rain

Rain can add extra weight onto wood and leaf areas during spring storms. This will exert pressure on weakened limbs and stems, possibly causing failure.

Wind

With spring comes a change in weather, which can lead to wind storms. Wind obviously exerts more stress on trees but more so when in leaf.

Rising Sap

Trees start to suck up moisture in spring and this causes cells to expand within the tree, leading to extra weight and also to possible fracture at weaker sites on the trees’ structure.

Emergency Storm Pruning

Tree pruning that may have taken place after the storm may have changed the entire structure of a tree’s crown. This may have only been emergency pruning to reduce a hazard and now the crown could be off–balanced and therefore more prone to being effected by the forces listed above. As the tree grows, the regrowth may be structurally weaker than normal limbs and also there may be more regrowth than normal. This should be thinned out after several years to prevent possible future breakages.

Ontree can assess your tree for defects and post storm care and suggest remedies.

Fees may apply for tree assessments particularly if we have to ascend the tree.