What To Do When Ice Storms Damage Your Trees Many trees damaged by ice storms require some immediate attention, but anyone working on trees must exercise caution to ensure personal safety and proper tree care. Homeowners or other individuals working on trees should be aware of the hazards of removing trees or tree limbs. Any work involving chain saws or tree climbing, as well as most work on large trees, should be done by professional arborists. Frank Dunston, director of the State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) division of lands and forests, offers the following advice to individuals concerned with tree care: Be conservative: Do not prune or remove more than you have to at this time. Remove any hazards, but save other decisions on pruning and removals for later. While damage to trees may appear severe, it is prudent to concentrate on saving as many trees as possible rather than making quick decisions about cutting them down. Reevaluate tree damage in spring or summer, when it is clear which limbs have died. For trees that must be removed, consider replanting in spring. Make sure that replacement trees are the proper species and size for the site. Contact your local DEC office or a trained professional for advice on tree selection and planting. Hazardous trees: Loose branches and split trunks are obvious safety concerns that should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid possible injuries or property damage. Trunks split down the middle are very difficult to brace adequately, and should be removed or cared for by a professional. Power lines: Removing branches that hang over power lines is very dangerous, and requires special training to be done safely. Contact your local power company or an arborist trained in electrical line clearance to have these branches removed. Leaning trees: Many trees that were not actually knocked over by the ice storm were left leaning due to broken roots. These trees usually do not survive well, and are hazardous due to the chance of falling at a later date. Mature trees rarely survive attempts to pull them back into place, and should be removed and replaced with new trees. Smaller and recently planted trees will usually survive if the trees are gently pulled back to their vertical positions. Pruning: The only pruning that should be done right now is the removal of broken branches. Leave the fine pruning and finishing cuts until late winter or early spring. Pruning cuts will dry out during the winter; leaving final pruning until early spring will preserve the tree's bark. Have a trained arborist make the finishing cuts. Branches that have pulled away from the trunk should be removed at the bottom of the break. Avoid causing additional damage to the trunk. Remove any loose bark, but do not cut into bark that is living and still attached. Never top trees. Topping creates serious hazards and dramatically shortens the life of a tree. Never use paint or wound dressing to cover wounds. These materials do no good for the tree and actually interfere with the tree's wound sealing process. Avoid fertilizing: Do not assume damaged trees will benefit from fertilizers. In most cases fertilizers will actually inhibit the tree's recovery. If trees are removed, new trees should not be fertilized at all for three years. Newly transplanted trees need to regrow their root system, and fertilizers will slow that process. Selecting an arborist or tree service: Much of the tree repair and removal work should be done by professional arborists. Hiring an arborist deserves careful consideration. A qualified arborist will do tree work properly and safely, but an unqualified person may cause additional damage, and may not be insured. Liability for improper tree work could run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Keep the following points in mind when hiring a tree service professional: • Check your telephone directory under "Tree Service" for businesses that do tree work in your area. Although anyone can list themselves in the phone book, a listing at least indicates some degree of permanence. Avoid arborists that advertises "topping" as a service. "Topping" is not an approved tree maintenance practice. • Ask to see certificates of insurance, including proof of liability for personal and property damage, as well as worker's compensation. Contact the insurance company to confirm that the policy is current. You may be held liable if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property or if the worker damages a neighbor's property. • Ask for local references. Inspect their work and talk with former clients. Experience, education and a good reputation are signs of a good arborist. • Don't rush into a decision because of discounts offered if you sign an agreement now. Be sure you understand what work will be done for what amount of money. It is not generally a good idea to pay in full until the work is completed. • Most reputable tree care companies don't need to solicit work door-to-door. People who aren't competent arborists may solicit tree work after storms, seeing an opportunity to earn quick money. Storm damage creates high risk situations for both workers and property. Legitimate arborists never ask for payment in advance. • It is generally wise to get more than one estimate and let each contractor know you are soliciting for other bids. • A conscientious arborist will never use climbing spikes except when removing a tree. Climbing spikes open unnecessary wounds in the tree that could lead to decay. • Good tree work is not inexpensive. A good arborist must carry several kinds of insurance and pay for expensive equipment. Beware of estimates that are well below the average. There may be hidden costs or the arborist may not be fully insured or trained.