| For
starters, some trees most definitely hold up better against extreme
winds than do others. Here’s a list of some of those: flowering
dogwood, American holly, Foster holly, yaupon holly, crape myrtle,
Southern magnolia and bald cypress. Why do these trees make it when
others are shredded? They tell us cone-shaped trees fare better in
storms and so do trees having a dominant trunk and smaller branches. And
small, mature size is also a factor in their favor.
Some other factors
influencing tree damage by storms include site design and management
practices (like proper planting and pruning). Site design includes
making sure the tree has adequate soil area for its roots. Unlike those
trees planted in the narrow medians at shopping malls or street trees
wedged between the street curb and a sidewalk. If roots are cut or
damaged by construction, well, you can guess how that factors in as
well.
And speaking of cutting
roots, when a new home is built (or street, garage, underground
irrigation lines, etc.), trees suffer either from root cutting, soil
compaction or maybe oxygen depletion by asphalt or concrete. Either way,
there is root loss. Then we make it even worse by mounding soil up over
the roots. That chokes a tree slowly to death. It may take 10 years, but
death is often the outcome.
The addition of mulch
piled up around the root ball and tree trunk also hurts the tree as bad
as cigarettes hurt humans! Cutting edge research shows we should have no
more than a one-inch depth of mulch covering the tree’s root ball.
Other areas can have up to three inches of mulch, but be sure not to
pile mulch up on the tree trunk! That’s new information and it has
been confirmed many times in research at the University of Florida by
Dr. Ed Gilman. It is a proven fact.
A few other trees that do
fairly well in storms are: Japanese maple, river birch, ironwood,
redbud, common persimmon, white ash, sweetgum, sweetbay magnolia and
saucer magnolia. Sycamore, winged elm and Osage orange do fairly well
too. But watch Osage orange for flying fruit! Like cannon balls!
The S.T.A.R. team project
of the Urban Affairs division of the Alabama Cooperative Extension
System wants you to know how to properly care for your trees because
they are such an important factor in having a healthy, happy life. They
cool our homes, protect from winds, purify our air, and help to calm and
de-stress us in a hectic world of metal and concrete. That’s why
S.T.A.R. team projects focus on greenspace development, on Tree City USA
projects, on faith garden projects and nature-based outdoor activities.
Trees are so important to us in ways we are only beginning to
understand. Let’s keep them, shall we?
Jerry A. Chenault is
the Urban R.E.A., New & Nontraditional Programs with the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System. |
