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A Closer Look At Common Tree Threats: Flooding

Trees in the greater Houston area face a plethora of threats and dangers to their immediate and long-term health. While some tree threats are due to a lack of routine maintenance or poor workmanship from amateur tree crews, a majority of tree threats come directly from Mother Nature. In today’s blog post, we take an in-depth look at one of the natural causes of tree damage, which is flooding. We also discuss methods for protecting trees or minimizing tree damages from devastating floodwaters.

Soil Issues

During floods, trees can be damaged because of soil swelling, a loss of soil nutrients because of floodwaters, and soil contamination. Soil swelling can contribute to the shifting of tree roots, making trees unstable. Fast moving floodwaters can also wash away valuable topsoil containing minerals and nutrients vital to tree health, and contaminants and toxins in floodwaters can completely destroy soil health. Trees damaged by poor soil after flooding need Soil Aeration and Deep Root Fertilization to nurture them back to full health.

Root Flare Problems

Flooding may also contribute to soil covering up a tree’s root flare, suffocating the tree at its feeder roots and preventing any substantial resources for oxygen, soil minerals, or water. When this occurs, tree roots will begin to circle around the tree base and choke the life out of the tree, known as Root Girdling. Root Flare Excavation solves this problem by using gentle air spades to remove the surrounding soil without causing harm to vulnerable tree roots.

Unstable Trees

Flooding can also cause trees to topple over and fall onto nearby properties, especially if they were in compromised or poor health before flooding began. If you already have a weak or unstable tree on your residential property that is worth preserving, then protect its future with Cabling and Bracing services to prevent toppling or major damages if a severe thunderstorm or hurricane approaches our area.

Although flash floods or hurricane-related flooding can easily threaten the health and stability of trees throughout the greater Houston area, there are preventative steps that can be taken to protect tree health or reduce potential tree damages. Embark Services offers safe, efficient, and professional tree care services for residential properties, including Soil Aeration, Soil Analysis, Deep Root Fertilization, Root Flare Excavation, and Cabling and Bracing Services. Contact Embark Services for more information, or go online to request a free consultation.

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