Vancouver’s urban forests face different challenges throughout the changing seasons. While snowstorms seldom strike the city and the surrounding areas, their infrequency can catch you off-guard. Severe damage can happen to your trees if you’re not prepared. Here are seven ways to protect your trees from potential damage whenever snowstorms occur in British Columbia during winter.
Consult an Arborist
Working with professional arborists as you prepare your trees for the threats of snowstorms is a significant first step for any tree owner.
An ISA-certified arborist can first conduct a tree risk assessment, giving insight into your tree’s current condition.
Can it withstand the storm? Is it a safety risk to its surroundings? What should be done to give the tree a fighting chance when a storm comes?
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Your local tree service provider can help you identify your tree’s weak points.
They will also offer suggestions for addressing those issues and restoring your tree’s structural integrity and safety.
Prune Your Trees
Pruning is a standard in proper tree maintenance.
Trimming and pruning trees ensure they are in their best shape regarding aesthetics, health, and safety.
When you prune trees, you remove dead, diseased, and dangerous tree branches that are highly likely to fall due to heavy snow or strong winds.
Broken limbs, especially large tree branches, can damage your home or car or even cause harm to people if they are neglected.
The same goes for low-hanging or far-reaching branches that get too close to utility and power lines.
They may not interfere with the cables, but when the winds arrive, it can lead to power outages or even fires.
The tree’s canopy may also be thinned to improve its wind resistance, which can protect it from the snowstorm’s heavy blows.
Remember, though, that pruning is best left to the professionals.
Without the proper tools or knowledge, you will risk your safety and damage your tree, which may take years to repair.
Add a Layer of Mulch
With or without snowstorms, the upcoming cold winter months should prompt preparations for Vancouver tree owners.
Mulching is an often overlooked preventive measure, but it provides multiple benefits to your tree when cold weather settles in.
Adding a layer of mulch beneath your tree insulates the temperature and retains the soil’s moisture.
It’s the ideal winter protection for your tree’s root zone, which becomes vulnerable to frost damage in the presence of extreme cold winds.
Mulch made from organic materials such as wood chips, straw, and leaves will also add to your tree’s sources of nutrients when they decompose.
The best time to place winter mulch beneath your tree is after the first frost.
Place about two to four inches of mulch about three inches from the tree trunk.
Have it circle your tree to at least 3 times the diameter of the stem, preferably 6 times or the extremity of the drip line.
Wrap Your Tree
Weather conditions that combine the weight of snow with the force of the wind are especially dangerous to small or young trees.
One way to protect them is to use poles and a frost cloth or burlap wrap as a makeshift shield.
The idea is to create a tent-like cover that’s stable enough to survive snowstorm winds without putting weight on your tree’s branches.
Winter storms aside, trees of all ages can also benefit from a burlap wrap on their trunks if they have thin bark, as it prevents sunscald.
Palm trees are particularly susceptible, and adding bulbed Christmas lights helps to keep them just above freezing temperatures.
A sunscald happens when the winter sun heats the tissues beneath the tree bark, and the cold temperature at night causes it to crack.
Remove Dangerous Trees
An arborist can help stabilize and protect your tree before a snowstorm.
Sometimes, it’s too late to save a tree, and the subsequent storm damage can cause it to fall, posing a safety risk to your property.
In Vancouver, there are bylaws regarding tree removal to ensure that the city’s canopy is protected.
An arborist’s report must first show that there’s no other way to save the tree.
Bylaws may also require you to plant a replacement tree.
It’s best to contact your local tree service company for assistance—from securing a tree removal permit to cutting down your tree.
This will give you peace of mind that your tree is being removed safely and legally.
Post-Snowstorm Inspection and Solutions
After the snowstorms have passed, it’s also a great idea to have a tree assessment.
You can check how your tree fared and look for signs of damage, such as visible cracks and wounds, precariously hanging branches, or excessive leaning of the whole tree.
Even without the most visible signs, an arborist can provide a more in-depth evaluation of the tree’s post-storm condition.
With a tree expert’s eyes and advice, they can help you work on restoring your tree’s health and integrity.
If your tree has been uprooted or is endangering its surroundings, you can call for an emergency tree service to prevent further mishaps after the snowstorm.
This may involve immediate restabilization efforts or, in some cases, a complete tree removal.
Stay updated with the latest news to keep yourself and your trees safe during snowstorms or other significant weather events.
Preparations go a long way.
With proper winter tree care and wind protection efforts, your trees can withstand the harsh freezing temperatures and damaging snowstorms that can strike our city in winter.
