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Tree stands in 120 mph winds
This
tree will be easier to restore than many trees because it began with a good
structure. It has a good dominant leader. That is the reason it broke in this
desirable manner. The small diameter branches on trees with a dominant leader
structure typically break a good way out from the trunk. This keeps the trunk
and the branch unions intact. The restoration process seeks to encourage good
structure mostly by guiding growth toward the center of the tree.
Treatment: Since the leader is intact, this will be relatively simple. First clean the canopy by removing dead branches and reducing broken branches back to lateral branches were possible. Heading cuts will be necessary because nearly the entire canopy was removed in the storm, and the tree was previously lions-tailed so there are no lateral branches to cut back to. Sprouts can be managed beginning in a year or two to encourage good structure. This process will require several prunings over a period of five years or more. (See: Details of sprout management).
