Driving through town revealed the impact from the recent winds and microbursts last week.
Safety first. If the damage involves large or high branches, get help. Never approach a downed limb on a power line. If you spot a hazardous or downed tree on public property, contact Public Works.
If your tree has broken branches, the best thing you can do is to get the wound as neat and clean as possible. Take a sharp knife and remove all the jagged edges of bark around the tear. Don’t bother with wound paint – the tree will heal the wound.
If possible, trim branches to leave a clean cut, making sure you follow the three steps for proper pruning (which prevents bark tears):
- Twelve inches away from trunk or from where you want the prune to be, make your first cut on the underside of the branch, sawing upwards through one-third of the branch.
- One-inch outward from the undercut, saw downwards through branch. At the point of no return, the weight of the branch will snap the limb, but the undercut will stop bark tearing the tree.
- Make your last cut just outside the branch collar, the spot where branch and trunk join. Often, you can see a slight swelling or wrinkle at this juncture.
You can find a diagram of this pruning method at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1724.html
If you’re not sure if your tree is a goner, contact a certified arborist to assess it. Those with less damage should be cleaned up, then have close attention to care over the summer. Water them if we’re dry, and keep them healthy.
For more tree or other gardening information, contact the Weld Master Gardeners at 970-400-2083 or weldmastergardeners@outlook.com
