Branches, whole trees and shrubs bent and deformed during storms can be braced to help restore their shape.
Wide nylon straps, specifically made for the purpose, should be used when bracing trees. Just using string, wire or a plastic cord can strangle the tree and kill it, so straps protect the bark and cambium, the living layer of the tree. The cambium is right beneath the bark. Damage to it can kill the branches and, if severe enough, the tree.
Wide nylon straps can be purchased at a local garden center or nursery. They come in green and brown meant to camouflage them. But old garden hose is a good alternative to straps.
The straps should form a loop around each branch. There should be plenty of room within that loop for the tree to expand for the next few years.
The proper placement of braces is about two-thirds up the stems being reinforced.
Baling wire, available at the hardware store, is the best material to connect the straps to the braces. Rope can fray and break. Electric wire is not strong enough. Tape, including duct tape, will not stand the weather.
The baling wire should loop through the holes in the straps and then be twisted together. The double strand of wire provides additional strength. Single strands can break and are prone to coming loose at the strap.
The wire should be taut but not excessively tight. The wire may be twisted after it is installed to tighten it.
Small branches, up to 4 inches in diameter, can be braced. Larger branches need to be cabled. Only a professional arborist should install cables in trees because it requires specialized hardware.
Braced branches may need to be pruned to reduce weight. Evergreens, such as upright junipers and mugo pines, can be pruned or sheared after bracing.
Braces should be left on a maximum of three years. They should be checked for wear and movement. If a brace is left on too long, the tree will grow accustomed to support, and the braced branch may become weaker.
Robert Brudenell is a registered consulting arborist and master arborist. He owns The Natural Way Inc. in Englewood.
