Mark's Urban Forest: September 2017

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Up Righting Fallen Trees

One of the most commonly asked questions after a hurricane aside from can my tree be saved is how and should you upright a tree that has been blown over in a storm. The answer depends on the integrity of the tree's root system and the size/dbh (diameter breast height) of the tree in question. Typically trees with a dbh less then 6" can be successfully up righted as long as the root zone is relatively intact and free from large defects such as stem girdling, plunging or circling roots. Larger trees may never develop sufficient rooting capacity to successfully anchor the tree without use of permanent bracing systems. I have attached some links to additional information on how to properly re-brace a fallen tree along with methods for doing so.

Photographs showing tree damage post Hurricane Irma, City of Fort Lauderdale

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/fallen-trees.shtml
http://www.broward.org/Parks/Extension/CommercialHorticulture/Pages/UprootedTrees.aspx

https://agrilife.org/treecarekit/after-the-storm/repairing-storm-damaged-trees/

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Hidden Post Hurricane Irma Impacts

Hurricane Irma caused substantial issues for our tree canopy. Torn limbs, toppled trees split trunks this damage is very visible and very apparent. Unfortunately, there was also a more hidden indirect impact. Florida's nurseries and plant farms took a substantial hit from the high winds and heavy rains. This will cause near and future issues as we try to replant lost/downed trees due to potential shortages of replacement trees. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 caused tree shortages that took 6 months to overcome. Hopefully, the industry can rebound sooner from the effects of Irma. I have also included several links to additional stories/articles pertaining to the effects of Hurricane Irma as it relates to the landscaping industry.

Photographs used courtesy of the FNGLA.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article173502081.html
http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2017/09/14/hurricane-irma-impact-floridas-nursery-landscape-industry-suffers-significant-loss/
http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/article/ll-091517-hurricane-irma-impacts-florida-landscapers-fngla/

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-hurricane-irma-florida-agriculture-20170918-story.html

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Post Hurricane Irma Cleanup/ Tree Replanting

Fort Lauderdale sustained some significant tree damage including downed trees and significant canopy loss. The majority of the damage is proving to be from either high winds, excessive ground saturation and or poor tree structure and lack of appropriate tree planting space. So far the tree species with the most damage include Ficus, Tabebuia, Mahogany, Seagrape and Hong Kong Orchids.