Houston Master Arborist Gives Tips on When to Consider Cutting or Pruning Trees

Houston – Over the past few weeks, we have seen significant tree damage to homes and businesses in our area. On May 16, a mother of four in southeast Houston was killed when a tree fell on her car. This got us thinking about tree safety and when it might be appropriate to cut or prune your trees.

KPRC 2’s Bill Barajas sat down with Master Arborist Brad Phillips, owner of ArborTrue, for a Q&A interview:

WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER ONE TREE SAFETY TIP?

Hire an arborist certified by the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture). Attempting to do tree work is a great way to end up in the emergency room. It is the most dangerous industry in North America.

WHEN CAN WE CONSIDER pruning or felling a tree?

Remove a dead or dangerous tree at any time of the year and as soon as you notice it. Waiting to remove a dead tree is extremely dangerous. Trees in hot, humid climates do not survive very long after they die.

Regular maintenance pruning can be done at any time of the year on most trees. For flowering trees, such as magnolias, wait until the flowers have finished blooming in the fall.

It is best to prune pine trees in winter or summer. Avoid pruning in spring and fall, as this will cause sap to flow from the tree and attract pine bark beetles.

For heavy pruning (removal of more than 25% of the canopy), wait until winter to reduce stress.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS MOST OF US COULD BE WATCHING FOR?

Look for fungal growth around the base of the tree, on the trunk. Don’t bother with mushrooms growing in grass, they are usually beneficial to the tree. Never use weed killers or weed killers and feed if you have trees.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU SHOULD INSPECT ON THE TREE/BRANCHES OR BRANCHES?

Look for “U” shaped branch unions, we like strong “U” shaped unions. “V”-shaped industry unions are likely to break up.

Look for branches that cross and rub against each other. This creates a weakness in the crown (canopy) of the tree.

Look for dead limbs to remove, especially those large enough to cause injury or damage if dropped.

Look for mistletoe in winter, it is parasitic and will kill the tree over time.

IS THERE A TYPE OF TREE OR TREES YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT?

Post Oaks have been dying in Texas since the 2011 drought due to ever-changing weather conditions. Slow-growing trees do not adapt well to rapid changes.

Arizona ash, water oak, laurel oak, and willow oak only live about 50 years and die quite suddenly. In the last quadrant of their lives, they lose large, heavy limbs which pose a serious risk to their property and health.

Silver maples are soft and break easily in Houston’s winds. They are also very susceptible to various diseases.

Italian cypress trees don’t pose much of a risk to the property, but they are a poor choice for Houston’s heat and humidity.

IS WEATHER THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO FALLING TREES/BRANCHES?

Many causes are concurrent and most of them are likely caused by climate change. Rising summer temperatures followed by record winters, floods and droughts make tree safety and health difficult. Fewer and fewer tree species are able to combat insect and disease pressure caused by extreme and crazy weather conditions.

WHEN CONSIDERING TREE TWINING SERVICES, WHAT SHOULD THE CONSUMER TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

Hire an ISA certified arborist and read reviews online. Look for a business that happily shares its address publicly and has more than 20 reviews.

IF YOU SEE SIGNS THAT YOUR NEIGHBOR’S TREE IS A DANGER TO YOUR HOME OR OTHERWISE, CAN YOU DO SOMETHING?

Hire an ISA certified arborist to visit you and your neighbor. They can help develop a cohesive plan to mitigate or eliminate the risk. If this is not possible, a certified letter can be sent to the neighbor informing them of the risk. This will usually produce an action. In the event that the tree fails and damages property after notice has been received and a “reasonable” time to rectify has expired, liability for damage to the tree will be placed on the notified owner of the tree. Remember, if part of the tree trunk is on both properties, the tree is 50/50 owned by both parties.