Monthly Archives: January 2016

How Important is Tree Pruning?

Just like you, trees and plants require proper maintenance in order to grow and continue to thrive. For many trees, proper pruning plays a vital role in maintaining their health, safety and continual growth. Pruning is beneficial in many ways. Primarily, pruning can help keep the people and property around your trees safe. Dead or weak tree branches have the potential to fall at any time, threatening injury to people, damage to structures or vehicles and damaged power lines. Pruning removes these limbs before they have a chance to fall.

Depending on the size of the tree, its’ location and the structure of the tree, pruning can be dangerous. Larger trees should always be pruned by a licensed and insured tree service company, like Emma Tree Service.

Pruning a tree can influence its growth and structure. When properly pruned, a tree can be “trained” to grow into a specific shape or configuration that is structurally sound. This “training” can improve the tree’s overall shape and mitigate the risk of falling branches or broken limbs. Pruning can also prevent improper weight distribution which can leave a tree unbalanced and lead to a fall.

The ideal time to prune is late fall or winter when trees enter their dormant season. This is typically not as imperative in a year-round, temperate climate zone such as San Diego. Even so, during a dormant season, the tree is less likely to suffer harm from the pruning. Trees, like any other creature, are susceptible to stress. When a tree is dormant, less sap is lost and the risk of infection or pests is reduced. Certain species of tree require more specific timing and different pruning techniques and approach.

With tree pruning, less is more. Pruning too much from a tree can result in damage from undue stress or an unbalanced canopy. If pruned too heavily, you risk fatally damaging the tree. A licensed and experienced tree service company can advise you on how much a tree should be pruned, when it should be pruned and how best to shape or “train” a tree. They can also ensure the tree is pruned safely and in a way that promotes healthy growth for years to come.

Are you in need of tree pruning? Call us today for a free tree pruning consultation and estimate.

Will El Nino Rains Make My Trees Unsafe?

In a record-breaking 4 year long drought, the first signs of El Nino rainfall were welcomed with gratitude by most San Diego residents. While we certainly need the rain, many San Diego residents were recently reminded of the potential risks and hazards brought about by much higher than average rainfall.

When heavy, consistent rains pound the ground, especially after years of drying and hardening in drought conditions, the soil can quickly become saturated and unstable. Unstable soil around your trees’ trunks and roots can cause an unsafe platform for your trees. Mild or moderate winds blowing against a wet, heavy leaf canopy can cause trees in stressful or weakened state to fail and come crashing down. Even trees that appear healthy can become unstable if their roots are unstable soil.

As with most hazardous situations, there is rarely a single factor that leads to a tree falling. There are typically several factors contributing to the unsafe situation. Before the rains increase, take a few moments to inspect your trees for the following signs of weakness, stress and potential for falling:

Heavy, overgrown canopy
Tree leaning sharply in one direction
Unbalanced branches – the tree seems heavier on one side
Damaged or restricted roots
Exposed or lifting roots
Cavities in the trunk

Ordinarily, one of these issues is not enough to cause an otherwise healthy tree to fail. However, several of these factors combined create the recipe for a hazardous situation and potentially dangerous outcome requiring emergency tree services.

If you observe one or more of the above-mentioned factors in your trees, contact Emma Tree Service for a free tree service consultation. Taking simple steps now may help prevent very serious damage in the coming rainy months.

How To Handle Broken Tree Limbs

With El Nino already impacting San Diego weather, rain showers, storms and high winds increase the risk of broken tree limbs. Whether a loud crash wakes you during a stormy night or you simply see the aftermath, a broken or fallen tree limb is a problem you can’t ignore (especially if it’s in your driveway, on top of your car or worse…on top of your neighbor’s car).

When you encounter a broken tree limb on your property, follow these tips to minimize damage, preserve the health and beauty of your tree and keep you and your loved ones safe:

Survey the damage from afar. DO NOT go near the tree until you’ve ensured there are no fallen power lines in the area. Also, DO NOT walk under the tree unless you are sure there are no other broken limbs that may potentially fall. A hanging tree limb may seem small when viewed from the ground, but even a modest size branch falling 15-20’ can cause serious bodily harm.

If the tree and limbs are smaller and the damage is minimal, you may be able to remove the branches yourself, however use caution. If a small branch has broken, trim the branch back to the point where it joins the larger branch. This will reduce the risk of decay, pests or disease. This can be done with a handsaw or small chainsaw.

If a large or potentially dangerous limb is broken and hanging, call a professional tree service company immediately. It can be extremely dangerous to attempt to remove large or precarious branches on your own. Larger broken branches will likely need to be trimmed back to the trunk. Professional tree service companies are equipped, trained and experienced in safely removing broken tree limbs in a way that minimizes risk and preserves the health of the tree.

Once all safety and health risks have been mitigated, you may be concerned about the aesthetics of your tree. While your tree may look a bit bare at first with missing branches, the tree will grow and the canopy will fill back in as it has time to heal. Otherwise healthy trees have amazing ability to heal and recover after suffering broken limbs.

When heavy rains and high winds hit this winter and your trees suffer broken limbs, call us for a Free Consultation and Estimate. Our team of professional tree care workers are trained, experienced and equipped to handle all your tree care needs.