Here in Sarnia, Ontario, where we have long, harsh winters, cabling and bracing trees are often necessary measures to help strengthen them. Anchoring trees helps secure them in high winds and provide support to better bear the weight of snow, particularly when they’re young or already have experienced some damage.
Guardian Tree Systems can evaluate your trees for structural weakness. Depending on what we find, we can determine if a cabling or bracing solution is necessary.
Cabling, which is minimally invasive, is used to stabilize a branch by running a cable from a sturdier limb to a less stable limb. Guardian Tree Systems utilizes the Cobra Cabling System whenever possible. The Cobra Cabling System provides equal strength to steel cabling but is much less invasive because it does not use steel parts or require drilling into the tree.
Where the use of flexible steel strand lines is necessary, our arborists can determine the best strategy to give your tree the support it needs with the least amount of disturbance.
Bracing, on the other hand, is more invasive. It requires the installation of heavy-duty rods into the tree. Those rigid rods can reduce the risk of two or more leaders (the main trunks of the tree) from spreading further apart, twisting or splitting at their junction. Sometimes bracing can be used to repair a branch that has already split.
At Guardian Tree Systems, we know what works. Our goal is always to prevent damage to the trees and ensure their long-term good health by doing the following:
- Assess the tree for structural weakness
- Remove any dead or dying limbs
- Prune back any weak branches
- If cabling or bracing is needed, determine proper placement
- Install cable(s) and/or brace
- Inspect the tree annually, make adjustments as needed