Winter is always a challenging time for landscape trees in Northern Illinois. One of the most significant and lasting impacts of winter on trees is ice and snow damage. Events such as this week’s ice storm in northern lower Michigan coated trees with up to half an inch of ice. This amount of ice can weigh down tree branches and cause significant breakage. Often the weight of ice results in high crown breakage, though trees can also split or lose major limbs.
Once the weather warms up, homeowners can begin to venture outside and assess the damage from the storm. Proper pruning and care of damaged trees is important for safety and for long-term health of the trees. If damaged trees are not properly pruned, several problems may ensue. Trees may experience severe dieback, resulting in dead limbs that could fall later.
Some trees may also produce prolific sprouts or suckers along limbs that have been damaged. These newly formed limbs are often weak and poorly attached to the tree and may be prone to failure during future storms. Broken limbs that are hung up in trees are a hazard since they may fall later. Lastly, proper pruning and tree care can help to reduce the likelihood that broken limbs will become infected with disease pathogens that can further damage or kill the tree.
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