When we get severe weather or heavy wet snow trees can often crack or break at their weakest points. These spots can sometimes be identified and corrected through pruning but often go unnoticed until failure occurs. Tree support systems are a great resource for helping trees survive severe weather conditions. Often cracked stems can be saved through a mechanical support system where a bolt is run through the attachment point and a cable is placed higher in the tree to support the stem. Dynamic tree supports can be used to prevent some damage when defects can be identified in a tree but not mitigated through pruning alone. Dynamic supports allow the tree to move in the wind without allowing them to get to the point where they may fail. Combined with appropriate pruning to reduce load on the affected stem, trees have the best chance of survival.
