Cypress Arboriculture is a tree care company, first and foremost. Whenever possible, we prioritize the thoughtful preservation of tree canopy on your property and throughout our area of response. Trees offer immeasurable benefits, from oxygen production and air quality improvement to increased property value to better health outcomes. We believe every tree deserves a chance to be managed to fit its site and deserves the dignity of a long, full life. Preservation strategies are as diverse as individual trees and we deploy those strategies whenever they are appropriate and safe. The interventions in this list are especially applicable to notable or historic individual trees. These are trees that might otherwise be flagged for removal, but which have considerable sentimental, historic, or wildlife significance and warrant exceptional efforts to keep alive and thriving as much as possible!
Initial Assessment
Each tree and each situation is different. The first step in deciding whether preservation is appropriate is to take an educated look at the tree, the site, and the needs of the tree’s owner. We never want to rush that first, Level 1 consultation and will always endeavor to collect as much information as possible.
Formal Tree Risk Assessment (TRAQ)
Sometimes the next step will be a more thorough inspection and assessment. I am qualified by the International Society of Arboriculture to perform level 2 and 3 risk assessments using the rubric set out in the ISA Qualification training. The TRAQ provides a standardized method of assessing Risk, the combination of likelihood of failure and consequences of that failure, reporting that risk, and recommending effective mitigations. TRAQ is an internationally recognized system aimed at helping Arborists and tree owners manage their trees effectively while communicating in an understandable way with third parties such as insurance carriers, concerned neighbors, municipal governments, etc.
Aerial Inspection
When we suspect defects may exist which are challenging to see or evaluate from the ground, it can be helpful to climb the tree to get a closer look. As a Certified Tree Climber in addition to Certified Arborist, I am equipped to get aloft – up close and personal with the tree to see what’s really going on in the canopy. This can be part of the TRAQ process or independent of it, and typically comes with a thorough Arborist’s Report including photos, videos, and discussion of individual defects and the risks associated with each.
Risk Management Planning
Once assessment is complete, we discuss the most effective mitigation strategies to work within budgets, timeframes, and relative efficacy. Each tree will have a different set of defects and risks associated with those defects, and each defect will have a slightly different most-effective method of mitigation. Each tree will also have a different effective lifespan or management period – what’s appropriate for a tree we manage for the next 10 years is going to be very different from a tree we expect to keep for 3.
Bracing
Sometimes putting hardware in the tree will be appropriate to keep a veteran individual standing for years to come. Typically installed at failing or failure-prone branch unions, bracing involves installing heavy-duty bolts through cracked or otherwise compromised areas of a tree’s stem to lend a little extra strength to areas at risk of splitting. Bracing is often done in conjunction with pruning to reduce leverage and should always utilize appropriately-sized hardware and brand-new augur bits. Another method of bracing involves building structures to actively hold the weight of overextended limbs from the ground. This form of bracing is commonly deployed with fruit trees unused to bearing the load of their own produce. It can also be used with bigger trees at risk of losing a lower branch that has become compromised by decay.
Cabling
Cabling involves mitigating similar threats or defects, but is done by installing a load-bearing synthetic or wire rope approximately ⅔ of the way up the tree’s canopy. I prefer to install noninvasive European style Dynamic cabling systems, as they allow natural movement in the tree’s canopy rather than holding it completely still. Research shows that traditional static cabling can lead to weakness below the point of installation as the tree “relaxes” under constant support. Think of a weight lifter wearing a belt 100% of the time they’re in the gym and failing to build core muscle mass over time. With dynamic cabling, the tree can move a bit and gain natural strength under normal loads, but the cable provides an “insurance policy” against catastrophic movement. If the canopy sways or sags enough that the tree is at risk of failure, the cabling system comes into play, catching the limb’s weight before it splits. There are a few situations where static cabling is appropriate. For example in cases where decay at the point of the defect is so severe that it’s unlikely to improve. We would only consider static cabling as an option to save a tree with very high sentimental or historical value. Cabling and bracing in a notable tree such as this would likely come in conjunction with some form of bracing and possibly retrenchment pruning.
Retrenchment
The thinking on retrenchment pruning has changed wildly and is still an active point of debate in the Arboricultural field. Traditionally, retrenchment meant taking large pieces of canopy out in order to drastically reduce leverage acting on the canopy to fight catastrophic failure. That pruning could include live and dead tissue removal. These days, many prefer to focus on removal of dead tissue only, as a declining tree desperately needs as much leaf area (photosynthetic potential) as it can get. The truth is that retrenchment as an effective strategy is somewhere in the middle. There are times where a severe reduction is the only way to retain a badly compromised tree. Species, vigor, care, siting, and exclusion are all factors that go into the decision to retrench aggressively.
Periodic Inspection and adjustment
With any of the above preservation interventions, keeping an eye on the situation as time goes on is absolutely critical. If hardware has been installed in the tree, it needs to be inspected and adjusted every 2-3 years. Especially with cabling, environmental factors, the growth of the tree, and even wildlife can impact the load-bearing potential of the system. The last thing you want is to rely on a frayed, uv-checked synthetic rope to hold a 10,000lb limb aloft in a catastrophic snow storm. Keeping a notable veteran tree alive includes making a commitment to periodic expert inspection and resolving to remain flexible when it comes to future maintenance and interventions!