The state of Florida is known for its warm climate, wonderful beaches, and beautiful waterfront areas. Lush, tropical landscaping is a big factor in the appeal of Florida to residents and tourists alike. Often new Florida residents will want to improve their home with tropical palms and trees, however Florida is also known for hurricanes, and care should be given to selecting the trees that will be able to weather Florida’s frequent hurricanes without causing damage to the home or property.
In some years homeowners in Florida have to face multiple named storms, some of are strong enough to leave extensive property damage from wind and flooding. When that happens, large branches or entire trees will come down, often damaging homes or vehicles or other property and even bringing down the power grid.
While the importance of trees is apparent to all, they provide shade look beautiful, provide habitat for wildlife, improve soil and water retention, helping sustain the balance in the environment while providing economic value to communities. On the other hand when a major storm hits, falling trees and branches can result in large financial losses for property owners and utility companies.
Native Trees are resilient, and trees native to areas around the world that receive frequent tropical storms are also frequently resilient to high winds. They can develop enough strength to withstand forces like strong winds, or bend enough to withstand the wind without breaking or uprooting.
Many homeowners new to the Sarasota area will often select trees based on looks alone, and not realize the species does poorly during high winds. Even of you do have mature trees that are not resilient during storms around your property, steps can be taken to help such as pruning to keep branches from catching too much wind, improving drainage to keep soil from becoming overly saturated can be taken to reduce the probability of storm damage.
For a higher probability of success in preparing your landscape for storms, you may want to consider requesting the assistance of a professional tree company.
Planning
Perhaps one of the best ways to avoid having to face storm damage is to select the right tree species to grow. Before planting anything on your property, you need to have a plan. Consider the strength of a tree’s branches, trunk, and root system. Make sure to mind their placement. If you live near the waterfront, storms may flood your area with saltwater, so you will have to consider getting salt-tolerant trees.
You also have to think about the level of maintenance a tree requires. Choose the ones that will suit your lifestyle. Otherwise, you need to work with a reliable tree company to ensure the health of your trees. Consulting with a certified arborist can also help you understand what type of trees fit the weather conditions in your area as well as those that are more likely to survive on your property.
Prevention
The next thing you have to do is to give your trees proper care. If they are healthy and robust, they have better chances of withstanding the storm season. Make sure you understand their unique needs. Find out what substances or methods are essential to root development.
For this, you may need help from a professional tree company. They can test the soil composition, do proper preventative pruning, conduct necessary mulching, and remove severely damaged or dead trees.
Protection
Regular maintenance is crucial in ensuring healthy growth. Before the storm season, you may have to implement extra safety measures. Check if you need lopping. Inspect each tree for dead branches and diseased stems that may turn into decaying homes for unwanted hosts like pests and molds. If you think a tree has no chance of recovering, it may be best to hire a tree company to have it removed.
There are other things that only a professional tree care expert can do, so the best way to protect your trees and prepare them for the storm season is to have a certified arborist check them. An expert can evaluate potential problems and provide the best solutions.