Area homeowners still cleaning up debris from January’s ice storm are making an unpleasant discovery: tree damage. As questions mount — can the tree be saved? Does it need pruning? Is it still safe? — the Evansville Department of Urban Forestry can step in.
“Any time there is a storm that affects a homeowner’s tree, it is advisable to contact an arborist … to see if anything is needed to keep the tree in good condition,” says City Arborist Shawn Dickerson.
The city’s 24-year-old Department of Urban Forestry offers free tree inspections as part of its public education efforts. Proper pruning can restore a tree’s structure. If damage is substantial enough to merit the tree’s removal, Dickerson recommends grinding the stump, clearing it, and replacing it with quality topsoil to allow future planting. When planting new shade trees, he says selection and placement are key to their future success.
“Often, trees are storm damaged due to neglect, which sometimes happens from planting fast-growing trees that are too expensive to maintain correctly,” Dickerson says.
He emphasizes picking the “right tree for the right location” and avoiding non-native or invasive varieties, so steer clear of those Bradford pears.
Here are a few more dos and don’ts: As trees grow, prune them, but don’t top them, as this can weaken or even kill them. Dickerson says correct pruning provides structure and guards against future storm damage.
“It is especially important that co-dominant branches be removed when they develop to prevent the tree from splitting later, which is one of the most common reasons for limb failure,” Dickerson says.
