Tree board offers tips for working with damaged trees
By LOU GREENHAW
Contributing writer
"It is time to look ahead now that the obvious cleanup of branches damaged in the ice storm is well underway," said Lou Greenhaw, chairman of Hillsboro Tree Board.
Phase two of a storm is the cleanup and evaluation of trees damaged. Community forester, Tim McDonnell, said that the positive twist is that for the most part the storm has damaged undesirable species or those trees in poor locations such as near utilities. He has compiled a handout as a guideline for assessing tree damage to determine if a tree should be saved or removed.
Assessment should be done on each damaged tree according to McDonnell. The health, location, age of the tree as well as type and extent of damage should be assessed. Another underlying question is whether the tree is a desirable species for this area climate and for the exact location it was planted.
Follow the evaluation guidelines but always keep in mind that trees are resilient and many trees recover from storm damage. The younger the tree, the more resilient and vigorous it is compared to older mature trees.
Assessment should be ongoing with any trees that are damaged because injury can weaken a tree and expose it to disease or insects. This is especially true in areas where branches were torn off as opposed to cut cleanly.
"Don't be discouraged by what has happened from this last storm, but look at it as a time to start with a fresh canvas. You have the opportunity to do better this time around," said McDonnell.
Hillsboro Tree Board encourages planting of recommended species by offering coupons for Hillsboro residents that can be used on the desired trees. These are offered in the spring and fall and will be available in March according to board member Bruce Heyen. They will be advertised in the newspaper and be available at the city office he said.
The handout by Forester McDonnell is available at the city office, Greenhaw Pharmacy, and the tree literature rack in the Hillsboro Public Library. The recommended tree species list is also available at the city office or from board members Sharon Boese or Paul Jantzen.
The important thing to remember is to have the right tree in the right place planted the right way.
Kansas Arbor Day is the last Friday in April.
"This year we will have an extra reason to celebrate those trees that survived and look ahead to improvement in our overall community forest," Greenhaw reminded.
