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Here are four tree cabling facts that will help you protect yourself and your home
Trees are not only beautiful to look at but also enhance the aesthetics of any landscape. However, mature trees with multiple trunks or low-hanging limbs can be a threat. Tree cabling is an effective method to reduce the hazards of certain trees. Here are a few things you need to know about tree cabling.
Cabling Is A Common Gardening Practice
- Tree cabling is a simple practice that helps support weak branches. It involves using high-strength cables and bolts to guide a tree’s growth. It holds the tree branches and limbs in place, thus preventing them from growing awkwardly, breaking, or bending. This bracing technique gives the tree the support it needs to continue growing.
The cable is flexible, restricts the weak branches’ movement and allows them to grow more controlled manner. In severe cases where a cable cannot offer the required support, rigid bracing rods are installed along with cables to redistribute structural stress. This technique helps support the physical structure of trees whilst keeping them in their natural environment.
Cabling Protects, Preserves, and Prevents Trees
- Trees form weak unions as they grow and branch out. Some branches overextend in search of sunlight and nutrients. A compromised limb endangers the whole structure of the tree by causing it to split and form weak spots.
Tree cabling improves the structural integrity of weak trees in three ways:
Prevention
- Tree cabling helps to reduce the risk of limb failure in areas with weak spots or multiple crotches. Crotches are the areas where the tree limbs are separated. Cabling helps to support the tree by distributing the weight of the branches more evenly.
Even if the tree is healthy, adding a few cables can prevent these problems. In addition, cabling helps improve the tree’s appearance by training the limbs to grow in a more aesthetically pleasing way.
Preservation
- Tree cabling preserves a tree’s structural strength. Even if your tree is already compromised, cabling prevents further damage by stabilizing the limbs and trunk so they can’t rub against each other and cause more splits.
Protection
- Some low-hanging or weak branches are obvious hazards. These potentially dangerous trees on your property can be protected with tree cabling and bracing. An arborist may even recommend removing the tree depending on the damage and the distance of the tree from your home. Protective methods are crucial especially when the trees are located in populated areas.
Tree Cabling Requires Professional Services
- Tree cabling is a technical and dangerous process that should not be attempted as a DIY task. Hire qualified professionals to perform the service for you. Arborists begin by drilling holes in the compromised and the stronger limb. The cable of the correct length is threaded through these holes. A pully system is then used to pull the two cabled stems together until they are in the correct position for optimal stability.
The cable should be taught but not too tight. If the cable is too tight, it will put more strain on the weak limb. On the other hand, the loose cable will fail to provide the right amount of support. Once the cable is in perfect position, the arborist will fix it and add a finishing cap for a finished appearance.
Tree Species That Benefit Most From Cabling
- Trees that grow wide have open canopies, and multiple trunks benefit the most from tree cabling. These include the Live Oak, River Birch, Arizona Ash, Pecan, Cedar Elm, etc.
To get the best tree cabling and bracing services, contact America Tree Inc. We offer multiple tree care and maintenance services in Montclair, New Jersey, and nearby areas. To get a free estimate of our services, call us at 973-744-6091.