Preparing Your Trees for Storm Season in Brisbane & Logan
Posted: 6 Oct
Posted: 6 Oct
After what has felt like an incredibly dry winter, today we’re finally seeing some rainfall across Logan, the first decent rain we’ve had in quite some time.
As I write this from Logan Village, the rain is falling, there’s some rolling thunder in the distance, and our water tanks are finally getting a little top up.
There are storms predicted for South East Queensland this week. Whether they come to fruition is another story (the weather forecast has certainly kept us guessing lately) but today feels like our first little hint that storm season is on its way.
And as arborists, our thoughts naturally turn to the trees.
The prolonged dry conditions around Logan and Brisbane have been noticeable in many of the trees we’ve been working around lately.We’re seeing signs such as:
Extended dry conditions can place trees under additional stress. Dead or weakened branches may also be more brittle, which becomes particularly relevant once summer storms, strong winds and heavy rainfall arrive.
A tree that has been relatively uneventful through the dry months can suddenly face strong wind, saturated ground, and heavy rain during a
storm.
Now is a good time to walk around your property and have a look at your larger trees, particularly those growing close to your house, shed, driveway, pool, power lines or neighbouring properties.
Look up into the canopy. Can you see dead branches? Has there been noticeable dieback? Are there large limbs extending over your house or other high-use areas? Does the canopy appear unusually dense, unbalanced, or different from how it normally looks?
Also, check around the base of the tree for anything that has changed, including cracks, damaged roots, cavities, fungal fruiting bodies, or movement around the root plate.
Not every large tree needs pruning simply because storm season is approaching.
Good tree management means identifying what needs to be done and retaining healthy canopy wherever possible.
Depending on the tree, appropriate management might include deadwood removal, selective canopy reduction, canopy thinning, or tree pruning and clearance work.
One of the busiest times for tree companies is immediately following a major storm, when damaged trees and fallen branches can quickly become urgent safety issues.
Where possible, it makes much more sense to assess questionable trees before severe weather arrives.
If you have a large tree on your property that you're concerned about, our arborists can take a look and recommend an appropriate management option based on its current health, structure and surroundings. Where a tree is dead, severely damaged or cannot reasonably be retained, tree removal may be the appropriate option.
The aim isn't to unnecessarily remove or heavily prune trees before every storm season. It's about managing identifiable issues and helping your trees head into summer in the best condition reasonably possible.
After such a dry winter, a bit of rain is certainly welcome around here - for the trees, the gardens and especially our water tanks!
Oasis Tree Management provides professional tree pruning, tree removal and tree management services throughout Logan, Brisbane Southside and surrounding areas.
Get in touch with our team to arrange a quote or tree assessment.
Trees are living organisms and their condition can change over time, particularly following severe weather. Tree management recommendations are based on the condition and circumstances observed at the time of assessment.
