Tree Planting and Care

Reduce future damage

Preventative measures long before a storm hits to help their trees grow stronger and become more resistant to damage.

Five suggestions for pruning a tree that will promote the growth of strong branches:

graphic: showing good branch angles of 10 and 2 o'clock

1. Encourage good branch angles. For most deciduous trees, narrow angles between two branches signal a point of future weakness. A good rule of thumb is many deciduous trees is to keep the angles at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock.

graphic: Showing strong branch trunk size

2. Encourage strong branch/trunk size relationship. Ideally, lateral branches should be no more than ½" to ¾" the diameter of the trunk.

graphic: showing tree unstable center of gravity

3. Maintain a stable center of gravity. The center of gravity for a tree should be over the trunk. Remove branches on the leaning side and encourage branch growth on the opposite side.

graphic: Showing a tree with rubbing branches and suckers

4. Remove rubbing branches, suckers, watersprouts and temporary branches.

graphic: Showing a branch cut back to a stub

5. Don't cut branches back to stubs. Long, natural limbs on a tree are strong and can withstand storm-like conditions. If a branch needs to be removed, cut it back to the main branch or to the tree's trunk.