
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 11, 1993                   TAG: 9311100028
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-9   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Joe Hunnings
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION MAKES WINTER EASIER

No one - not even the wooly worms - can say for sure what kind of a winter we'll have. But even during a mild winter, occasional snow and ice storms can take their toll on trees.

The old ounce of prevention is the best way to protect trees from storm damage.

Here are some keys to prevention to consider:

1. Think ahead when planting trees. Visualize the young tree as it will look when it is mature. Avoid planting it near overhead utility lines, too close to a building or in spots where it will be in danger of blowing over, such as on the edge of a bank.

Planting trees in groups - or planting species with naturally deep root systems also can help prevent trees from being blown over.

2. Avoid planting brittle species on sites where breaking limbs could cause problems. Examples of brittle species include:

Elms

Willows

Box elder

Poplars

Silver maples

3. Where early ice storms are common, avoid planting species that hold their leaves late into the fall.

4. During sidewalk replacement or other excavation, avoid cutting roots - or keep root damage to a minimum.

5. Beginning when the tree is young, prune the tree to prevent development of weak form.

6. Annually prune dead or weakened limbs, and occasionally thin excess branches from the crown. The goal is to produce a well-shaped tree with the center of gravity squarely over the trunk and a crown that lets wind pass through rather than catching it like a sail.

7. For particularly valuable trees, a professional arborist can strenthen tree crowns by installing flexible cabling and/or rigid bracing. This will allow the tree to function more as asingle unit, with major limbs supporting one another.

8. Keep trees healthy and vigorous by watering, fertilizing and protecting the soil from compaction.

Removing hazardous trees also is part of prevention. Tree owners are required by law to recognize and correct dangerous conditions. Property owners can be held liable for injuries or damage to the property of others if they fail to remove a tree that falls under reasonably foreseeable circumstances.

by CNB