When is a tree a hazard?

A dead or dying tree is fairly easy to identify as a hazard but often even lush and healthy trees have large boughs that could drop seemingly without warning. Wind can exacerbate the danger of already weakly attached branches and boughs, and cause a dangerous branch drop. Trees that are not regularly maintained can easily drop branches. This can have a devastating effect on people, pets or property. A qualified Arborist can spot structural issues and read the signs and symptoms of weakened trees and imminent dangers.

If you have large, unmaintained trees anywhere near people, pets or property, a consultation with an Arborist is essential for safety. A qualified Arborist should be consulted at least once every two years to inspect your trees. The Tree Guru will assess your trees for safety and suggest many interventions before removing a healthy tree. Saving trees is a first priority and removals are suggested only as a last resort. An unmaintained tree with a forgotten tree protector. This has caused a weakness on a cellular level, and wounding and eventually tree rot. As a result the tree becomes too weak to support itself and snapped off.

Stop! Don’t top

Topping a tree means to hack it down to an indiscriminately lower height by removing a large percentage of the crown. This however causes many more problems and no benefits, especially to the tree. If a tree is too large in an area and you are battling with leaf drop and leaf litter, too much shade, or roots causing damage, it probably means the wrong tree species was selected for the area at the time it was planted. Topping however is a crude measure and can result in a disfigured tree. Fortunately there are clever, cheaper alternatives that a qualified Arborist can provide and that will serve your trees and garden in the long term.

Stopping lopping

This is similar to topping, except a single branch or bough is usually targeted. This also causes a coppicing response in the tree, so you end up with many more branchlet’s shooting from the old cut and the result is a very disfigured tree. To keep your tree looking beautiful, be sure to consult with the Tree Guru, who can provide a better solutions for your trees.

Use registered tree companies as contractors

In South Africa, the Workmen's Compensation Act (WCA) covers workplace accident insurance and every legal entity including a sole trader, close corporation, proprietary limited and public company has to be registered with the Department of Labour as part of the statutory requirements. If a contractor works on your property and the company is a registered entity, in most cases the company will be covered by workplace accident insurance. Many people worry about Public Liability Insurance, in case of damage to property, but you need to check that the contractor is registered with WCA, and insist on seeing their certificate of registration. If anybody, a contractor or person off the street, is injured while working on your property, and they are not covered by WCA insurance, you become responsible for their treatment and post accident care, because the accident happened on your property, and you and your insurer have deeper pockets. Take your time before making a decision about hiring a contractor and for your peace of mind only use registered companies. When it comes to work on your trees, the Tree Guru has access to qualified, properly trained and registered tree professionals and can manage your project from beginning to end to ensure safety and quality standards are maintained.

Frightening lightning

With electrical charges reaching up to 120 million volts, lightning is one of nature’s most powerful and frightening forces. The Highveld region of South Africa has among the highest lightning strikes per square kilometre per annum in the world. This frequently causes havoc with electronic equipment. Trees are also susceptible to lightning strike, especially tall trees, and a lightning strike will affect a tree’s biological function as well as its structural integrity. When a tree’s structural integrity is affected, it becomes a hazard, and falling trees or boughs can be hazardous to people, pets and property. The installation of unobtrusive conductors will protect your trees from lightning strike and make your area safer. Contact the Tree Guru for advice on the installation of lightning protection systems.

Structural flaws

Over the years and throughout my travels I’ve captured a number of trees with structural flaws. These are the result of stress, wind, compaction and lack of nutrients as well as many other causes, all of which can affect any tree.

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