This winter is supposed to be a whopper, a La Nina year, marked by extra wet, wintry weather.
Is this the year that giant Douglas fir falls on your house?
Chances are, no.
But if you get a knock on your door from a tree service saying one of your trees could be hazardous in high winds, you may start to wonder.
Before hiring anyone, here are some important tips from local arborists and other tree experts.
Watch for red flags: Look at all the large deciduous and evergreen trees on your property for obvious warning signs of poor tree health.
Keep an eye out for forked trunks, or branches or trees with two tops, especially those that appear to be breaking or splitting.
Mushrooms near the roots or on the trunk can indicate serious root rot or fungal diseases.
Construction damage: Major construction, landscaping and irrigation projects can be harmful to nearby trees.
Soils compacted by heavy machinery can bring on tree health problems many years later. Roots can be severed during digging.
Backfilling with topsoil can lead to trees being planted too deeply, which can cause rot and disease.
Most tree trunks should have a slight flare at the base. Tree trunks coming straight out of the ground may have been backfilled.
See the forest: If your home is in a new development where the land has been cleared of trees, be aware that remaining trees at the edge of the development were once sheltered by forest. Now exposed, they’re more likely to become ill or fall.
Check drainage: Most trees are more susceptible to problems if they are located in areas with exceptionally wet soil.
Inspect your property so you’re aware of drainage conditions, especially on winter’s wettest days.
Maintain your trees: Proper pruning can prolong the life of a tree. It’s a good idea to remove dead and diseased wood as well as crossing or rubbing branches, as long as you don’t remove too much of the tree.
Think preservation: Not all hazard trees have to be removed. Some trees can be cabled or braced or even relocated for improved safety.
Check it out: Cass Turnbull, the founder of the Seattle-based nonprofit PlantAmnesty, recommends having an arborist out every five years to do a hazard tree risk assessment if you live near a tree big enough to crush your house. It might cost you, depending on the arborist, but it also might give you peace of mind.
It won’t guarantee safety, however: “There are no quote-unquote ‘safe trees,’” Turnbull said. “A big enough storm will bring down anything. But just like with driving, you can minimize the risk.”
Be wary of wind sailing: This is a controversial term among tree-care professionals.
It is loosely defined as a tree-thinning technique designed to create less wind resistance, typically in the tops of trees.
Though thinning the crown of a tree can be a good thing, some arborists believe wind sailing can actually cause harm to trees, and therefore present more risk to homeowners.
Paul Wiltberger, owner of Blue Heron Tree Care of Arlington, said the math just doesn’t add up in favor of wind sailing.
In order to significantly reduce a tree’s wind resistance, at least 60 percent of a tree’s overall canopy would need to be removed, which would undoubtedly hurt the tree, he said.
Root rot and diseases are far more common causes of falling trees, Wiltberger said.
“Trees don’t just fail,” he said. “Invariably they fail for good reasons.”
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037; sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Who to hire?
ISA: If you have concerns about the safety of your trees or simply want routine maintenance done, call an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture based in Champaign, Ill. See www.isa-arbor.com for the society’s referral service or call 217-355-9411.
PlantAmnesty: This Seattle-based organization teaches pruning and tree care, has a referral service for ISA-certified arborists who also have signed a PlantAmnesty ethics statement and have been sponsored by one of PlantAmnesty’s tree program members. See www.plantamnesty.org or call 206-783-9813, ext. 3, for a referral.
How to hire
When hiring a professional arborist to address a questionable tree, ask for a tree risk or hazard tree assessment.
If you’re worried about getting pushed into having work done that you don’t need, you can hire one arborist for a consultation and another to do the work. Some arborists work exclusively as consultants.
Scott Neuert, owner of Custom Tree Service of Edmonds, charges about $65 for verbal assessments. Written reports cost about $185. He charges $75 to $150 per hour for labor, depending on the number of workers required to do a job.
Resources
Paul Wiltberger, Blue Heron Tree Care, Arlington; 360-435-5525
Scott Neuert, Custom Tree Service, Edmonds; 425-742-6810
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