There are sometimes cases where we encounter a perfectly healthy tree on a property. There’s nothing wrong with it, it looks beautiful, and the homeowner would love to keep it.
There’s just one issue: a co-dominant stem. This means that there are two stems emerging from the trunk of the tree that are essentially the same diameter. The junctions between co-dominant stems can be weak points on the tree.
The problem with these types of situations is that, though the tree is perfectly strong and healthy, the immense stress on these two stems frequently results in the tree splitting in half during a high wind, heavy snow, ice, or a severe storm event. Once that happens, it’s nearly impossible to save the remaining tree, and we have to remove it completely.
Cabling is a strategy we use for supporting trees with problematic co-dominant stems. Cabling is the process by which an arborist ties 2 branches together to limit the swaying that each branch endures in the wind. It essentially shifts the tension to the stronger part of the tree, the trunk.
The purpose of cabling is threefold: Prolong the life of the tree, prevent a tree split from occurring, and protect valuable property nearby.
An inspection of the tree would look for signs of split or decayed branch unions, which are signs of a potential failure. These trees are susceptible to wind and accumulated ice and snow.
Before we can utilize cabling, we have to inspect to make sure the wood in each of the stems is healthy to hold the eye hook and not rip out under the tension of the cable. The arborist will climb into the tree to make sure the bark on these branches is healthy and there is no sign of weakness or deterioration. If it passes inspection, the next step is to strategically place eye hooks into the branches that are to be secured. Once that is complete, cable is routed through the eye hooks and pulled taught (but not too tight). The idea is that the shifting and swaying of the branches is not completely stopped, but greatly reduced.
Proper implementation of cabling is an effective way to prolong the life of the tree. Cabling, as with all other proactive measures of tree management, is a cost-effective way to properly care for trees on your property and reduce sudden tree falls and breakages that result in costly damage.
Our expert arborists are trained and experienced in assessing trees that may be high risk for splitting and possible good options for implementing the cabling strategy. If your tree is not a good candidate for cabling, we will recommend other options for managing or removing the tree if it poses a risk to your property.
Call Manor Tree Service for Tree Cabling
If you think you have a tree on your property that may be a good candidate for cabling, give us a call. We’d be happy to take a look at your situation and assess any other trees that may need maintenance on your property.
