Pine is a tree that will hardly fall because of the wind in a forest environment. On the other hand, in a garden the case can be taken.
One of the usual jobs after an episode of strong winds is the removal of branches or even fallen trees. Especially in public parks, which are usually more exposed to the winds. In private gardens, one of the trees that is most at risk of falling is pine.
Poplars or eucalyptus can get rid of large branches due to natural causes, such as a large sucker.
The pine can even fall completely. Its troco will hardly be broken, as it can happen with other species, but if its root system has not developed properly and no pruning has been applied to avoid the sailing effect, it can collapse at the root.
How to know if a pine presents a risk of falling
Pine is a tree that has a tendency to rise quite a lot. It is common to find, even in private gardens, pine trees that easily exceed 10 meters high. To generate pineapples and pine nuts, your seed needs a lot of sun. That's why it grows so tall. And to save energy for pineapple production, it concentrates its flowering in the highest areas. To the point that the low branches dry and fall off.
The pine, accustomed in its natural environment to branching a lot in height, needs to hold on well to the ground so as not to yield to the wind. This is why the pine root system develops from a pivoting main root, which grows vertically downwards, anchoring the pine.
Precautions with pine in private gardens
But in private gardens in Ocean Pines, where it has been planted without it being a place with the optimal conditions for its growth, the pine can find problems to develop that root that ensures its anchorage to the ground:
There may be groundwater currents.
A concrete slab of the foundation of the farm.
Even a bed of natural rock at shallow depth.
If something prevents the pine from developing this pivoting root, it will not have enough grip. And while this is not a problem when the tree is young, when it grows and offers greater resistance to the wind (sail effect), it could be defeated until it collapses after an episode of strong winds. It is not something that happens very often, but there are enough cases to take precautions.
What are the precautions so that a pine does not fall?
The most advisable is to keep the pine in a good state of health (free of pests and diseases, basically). From there, it is very important to perform training pruning every two or three years at most. And if the risk is evident, we have several options: install an anchor system that prevents its fall. Or even cut it down if the risk is too high.
Pruning pine training to lighten the candle effect
To minimize this risk of falling, the first thing will be to carry out training prunings that reduce the pine branch so that you can contact Santa Maria Tree Services. And to some extent, also its height. In addition, we will use to eliminate the low branches.
Pruning should always be carried out by professionals, who will know the best time to cut, what branches to eliminate, how to do it with the greatest security ... And that they must also take care of the removal of the woody remains, given that they are left on public roads or in Unauthorized landfills are not responsible and, in addition, it is a penalty.
Pine anchoring system
In very tall pines, and in which movements have been observed in case of strong wind gusts, a tensile test can be performed, with which the risk can be determined. And assess one of the possible safety measures: install an anchor system that prevents the fall.