Pruning Can Help Trees Withstand Storms

Several species of trees are inherently prone to breakage in winter snow and ice storms, including pear, silver maple, poplar and birch.  Proper pruning by a certified arborist can improve a tree’s ability to withstand the weight of snow and ice.  The goal of the pruning should be to remove rubbing/crossing branches which cause decay and weakness, suckers and watersprouts which are weak and divert energy from the rest of the tree and to maintain a stable center of gravity with the weight of most branches over the trunk.  In addition, cabling and bracing can help trees with weak unions.