Tree restoration is an import part of caring for trees in our clients' landscapes. In this article, we are going to learn about damage to trees during storms or due to poor tree care practices (topping) and how we might be able to help the trees recover from these injuries.Hopefully everyone reading this knows that topping is bad (figure 1). We know the reasons as our industry has been spreading the anti-topping word for quite some time. What happens when we top? The tree's response is to produce a flush of re-growth or water sprouts. A tree uses stored energy to produce the water sprouts and thus has less energy available to battle pests and diseases, including decay organisms. It is more likely that decay will arise after a topping event. Yet water sprouts are not bad,in fact they are a necessary part of the recovery process. This is the tree's natural attempt to regain the lost leaf area. Without leaves the trees cannot produce carbohydrates, via photosynthesis, for growth, development and metabolic functions. Infact trees have evolved to contend with topping as Mother Nature brings hurricanes, ice and snow storms that damage trees, hence the ability to produce water sprouts and to compartmentalize decay.
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