Drought periods are unfortunately quite common across many parts of the U.S., and with periods of drought come wildfires. If you own property upon which trees grow, you will owe it to yourself, your neighbors, and your trees to do everything within your power to avoid wildfires from spreading onto said property via said trees.
Health Assessments of Your Trees
There are many ways in which fire can cause harm to a tree. If foliage atop your tree was burnt away, for example, your tree will lose its main income source for sunlight. Additionally, it will also be left with blackened bark on its top branches, which will cause them to overheat and eventually, die completely.
If the tree’s bark is charred, or more specifically, if half or more of the tree’s bark is charred, it will be at a high risk of falling. However, the tree doesn’t even have to be burnt itself. Burnt soil surrounding the tree will leave its roots without moisture, and thus, cause them to dry out and die. As a result, the tree will lose its grounding in the soil and, again, put it at risk of falling.
Thus, what can you do to ensure your tree survives the wildfire damage? For one, you should contact a tree service and ask them to send someone to check up on your tree. In the majority of cases, a tree can still survive, even parts of it are charred or damaged. During the inspection, every part of the tree and its surroundings will be assessed, including the soil, bark, roots, and so on.
Helping Your Tree Survive
As long as you are unsure of your tree’s stability and overall condition, you should keep your distance. It is upon the tree service crew to ensure all limbs at risk of falling are safely removed. And if your tree is beyond saving, they will also be the ones to remove it in its entirety. Most of the tree removal services in San Jose have licensed and experienced tree care crew that understand all aspects of the procedure.
However, if your tree has a high chance of making it, you best learn how to assist it throughout its recovery. They will let you the procedures or come over and do it. However, you can start this process by watering it sufficiently. If it has been charred, it will need a lot of water to regrow leaves and spread nutrients to every nook and cranny. And if the soil has been burnt or compacted around the trunk and roots, you may need to add amendments. This can be done by the tree service.