Home Gardening

Storm Damage to Trees
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - September 1, 2008

As I sit in a motel in Prattville, Alabama, waiting to get back home to Ocean Springs after evacuating from Hurricane Gustav, I want to share some thoughts on trees and helping them recover from storm damage.

A common myth is that the root system mirrors the top growth of a tree. While some trees do put down some deep roots, most of a trees root system is in the top 12” to 14” of the soil. Roots need to be in proximity of the surface in order for gas exchange, both carbon dioxide and oxygen, to ensure to healthy optimal root and tree growth. This also helps to stabilize the tree in the soil. We can see this arrangement with trees that have been blown over.

Many people believe that trees are capable of healing themselves after damage from a storm. Trees do not heal in the same sense as we do after an injury. Instead, a process called compartmentalization occurs. The area around the injury is strengthened and sealed off from the rest of the tree. Never paint, caulk, cement, or cover a tree wound as this will trap disease organisms. Always trim damaged, jagged branches to an even surface.

There are many branches that will have been damaged and will have to be removed. Never prune a branch flush with the trunk as this will provide an opening for pathogens to enter the tree. Always look for the branch collar, which will be a slightly raised area around the point where the branch attaches to the trunk, and prune there. This will allow the tree to heal itself.

I know many homeowners in the coastal counties have lost some landscape trees courtesy of Gustav. When replacing trees please consider the growth characteristics and mature size. A big mistake homeowners make is planting a large fast growing tree under power lines or too near their home believing that pruning will keep the growth under control. In most cases these trees “get away” from the homeowner and cause problems with the home foundation, the power company, and probably another storm.

• Plant small ornamental trees, 15’ and less under power lines.
• When planting near the home use this rule: Always plant your tree 1 ½ times the mature canopy radius (radius = diameter/2) away from the home. This way you will always have a buffer away from the home.
• If you have to prune a tree to keep it under control you have planted the wrong tree.

For more information on tree selection and care go to MSUcares.com for MSU-ES publications.

Written by Dr. Gary R. Bachman, Assistant Extension Professor of Horticulture, Coastal Research & Extension Center.