Does one of the trees on your property seem healthy yet structurally unsound? This specimen might benefit from tree cabling and bracing services. These techniques add support and stability to help insecure trees beat the odds of trunk or branch instability.
At Stevens Tree Service, we’ve helped numerous property owners proactively protect their trees during our tree services in Largo, FL. We’ll explain more about cabling and bracing below.
What Are Tree Cabling and Bracing?
Cabling and bracing are two similar methods to provide extra structural support to trees that would otherwise fall, break, or drop main branches. When an arborist cables a tree, they connect flexible cables to various branches to even out the weight distribution. It predominantly deals with weak branches that you can’t just prune.
Meanwhile, bracing supports stressed trunk areas. The arborist installs sturdy rods through the weak points to keep the trunk from collapsing in on itself. For instance, some trees grow upward, then at a horizontal angle, before growing vertically again. They need bracing rods to prevent that horizontal trunk segment from cracking under their weight.
How Do Arborists Brace and Cable Trees?
If you suspect one or two of your specimens needs some support, consult with an arborist first. Cabling and bracing a tree can be difficult, and the process requires a meticulous understanding of how to alter branches and trunks without causing irreparable injuries. Let’s examine the service further below.
Identifying Trees That Need Extra Support
First, you need to know when a tree needs that structural support. Check your trees for the following abnormalities:
- Two branches growing from the main trunk in a V or U shape
- The main tree trunk growing horizontally
- A central branch dramatically pulling away from the trunk
- A trunk with sharp, elbow-like angles
Schedule an arborist inspection to confirm the need for tree cabling and bracing services.
How Tree Cables Work
If your arborist identifies weakened main branches, they’ll cable the tree. Most cabling techniques look something like this:
- The arborist drills a hole through the weakened branch and its structural sound counterpart. Sometimes, they may drill through the trunk if numerous or all main branches need support.
- Next, they thread the cable through the holes, ensuring it tugs at and supports the weakened limbs.
- The arborist then adjusts the cable tension using a pulley.
- Then, they secure the cable ends.
Installing Tree Braces
Bracing rods are essential for main limb failure prevention when two heavy limbs growing from the trunk threaten to split it in half because of their weight. Bracing can also help protect trees with multiple codominant trunks growing from a shared base. The process involves the following:
- The arborist makes holes in the affected branches and trunk sections.
- They insert metal rods to hold the splitting parts together.
- The arborist then secures the rods with nuts securely threaded on either side.
Continued Health and Structure Assessments
Specimens that depend on cabling and bracing for continued tree stability and viability require annual inspections. Your arborist needs to confirm that the cables or braces are functioning properly and that the tree remains healthy. You can also protect your cabled and braced specimens by:
- Watering them around the root circumference as needed
- Supplying extra nutrients through soil fertilization
- Checking for opportunistic infections that could signal a reopened wound
Consult With Stevens Tree Service About Supporting Your Struggling in Largo, Florida
Stevens Tree Service offers tree cabling and bracing services in Largo, Florida. Check these signs of a hazardous tree, and call 727-734-TREE (8733) to see if we can remedy your favorite specimen.