Keep those large, mature trees from falling down in a storm

AMBERLY VILLAGE, Ohio - In the past few years, every time we have a storm with strong winds, large trees come down. They fall on homes, cars, and power lines. So what’s causing these mature trees around to fall? 

It has to do with the combination of dry periods followed by wet periods. During a dry spell, a tree’s roots will die, and the whole root system, or anchor, is damaged. Then, when you have an extremely wet year, with above average, record rainfall, such as in 2011, root rot sets in, causing the tree’s anchor to become unstable.

At that point, it doesn’t take much to bring it down. In 2011, we hit an all-time record for rainfall, coming in at 73.28” at CVG… that was the most rainfall in a year EVER recorded!

So what do you do if you have a mature tree close to your house that you’re worried could be a problem? We caught up with a tree expert, Dave Stang, of Dave Stang’s Certified Tree Care. Stang is a certified arborist, or what he calls, a “tree doctor.” He showed us what you need to know to stay safe.

“People will call and I’ll tell ‘em, look at the flare on the tree, and they don’t know where that’s at. Where the tree meets the ground…. and it’s in this area that we have the first, or some of the major symptoms of root decay.”

You need to look for what Stang calls “fungal bodies” around the flare of the tree.  This means mushrooms, or even major discoloration. You also need to remove vines from your trees so you can actually see when the tree is having problems. Vines can cover up the signs. Stang also says if there is discoloration or fungi growing at the base of the tree, it’s definitely a red flag.

It’s important to note though, that not all trees need to come down. Stang recommends having a professional, such as a certified arborist, examine the tree that you’re concerned about. Once they determine the state of the tree, then they will decide whether the tree can be saved or needs to be removed. Stang says his primary goal is to save the tree.  

He also says not to trim the top off of your trees, because it exposes the tree, making it more susceptible to decay in future years. He says the best trimmed tree is one that you can’t tell has been trimmed. 

Stang admits though, that weather plays an important role in tree health.

“There’s only so much an arborist can do…we have to have Mother Nature’s cooperation, and the rain has to come in at the right times, and then not too much. That’s not too much to ask for, is it?”  He laughs.   

Website for Dave Stang’s Certified Tree Care: http://www.davestangscertifiedtreecare.com/

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