The themes of this article cover:

• • How to assess the severity of ice damage
  • Whether ice damaged trees are beyond saving
  • Safety steps for cutting down or trimming ice damaged trees

When a devastating heavy snow or ice storm rolls through your area, knocking down tree branches and leaving broken limbs strewn about your property, what happens to the tree?

In most cases trees can lose a few branches and survive, but if an ice damaged tree loses too much of its coverage, its chance of survival becomes slimmer.

While sawyers are always looking for trees to mill for lumber using their portable sawmills, you may be hesitant to cut one down if you’re unsure whether the tree will spring back to life. You may also have ornamental trees you'd rather avoid cutting down to maintain the beauty of your property.

Chris, one member of the Woodland Mills Product Owners and Community Facebook group, says there was "nothing wasted here" after an ice storm damaged some of the trees on his property, and he was able to mill up some beautiful live-edge slabs with the wood.

But how do you know if you're at that point? The Ontario Woodlot Association has written about caring for such trees, and their advice may be helpful in deciding whether to fell a damaged tree or leave it standing. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips for identifying ice damaged trees so you know what to do with them:

Powerful storms can tear down entire tree trunks, uprooting them completely. These trees can be a great source of timber for sawyers, and many in the Woodland Mills community often utilize trees felled in storms, or unhealthy trees which need to go down.

But wind, rain, snow can batter a tree, while a heavy ice loads can bow and break a tree’s limbs while still leaving the trunk standing. In these cases it’s wise to use caution, as standing trees can have falling debris.

“Approach and inspect damaged trees only if it is clearly safe to do so. Branches that appear to be well wedged in the crown can fall without warning at any time, resulting in serious injury and damage to property. Do not go near any tree close to power lines,” says the Ontario Woodlot Association.

You should consider waiting until the spring to assess or take down these trees, if there is not an imminent safety risk that warrants it be taken down immediately.

Trees can be quite hardy, and most trees can be saved with the proper level of care. But if a tree loses too much coverage, it may not be possible for it to come back.

Source: Ontario Woodlot Association

As demonstrated above, provided by the Ontario Woodlot Association, a damaged tree can lose a quarter to half of its crown and survive. But the chance of the tree dying increases dramatically when it loses more than half of its coverage.

At 75 percent loss or higher, the snow and ice damage may prove too high and the tree’s odds of survival drop. While it’s still possible for the tree to survive, this will depend on the species, its age and environment.

Source: Ontario Woodlot Association

The tree trunk can also suffer damage in a way which could cause significant loss to the crown.  

“Deciding which tree stays and which tree should be cut can be a difficult decision and depends on your woodlot objectives, the extent of the damage, safety issues and current market values. Landowners should seek professional help for an assessment of the damage to their woodlots and recommendations for remedial action,” adds the Ontario Woodlot Association.

If you want to attempt to save a tree by pruning dead limbs or straightening it, it’s best to wait until the tree thaws and you don't have to worry about brittle wood.

“Do not attempt to remove ice by striking the branches with a blunt object. Trees are fairly brittle in the winter and with the added rigidity of the ice, you will break more branches than you will save,” advises the Ontario Woodlot Association.

If you’ve reached the decision to take down a tree, judging it’s branch damage is too extensive and that it’s unlikely to survive, there are some things you should consider.

It’s unwise to try and fell the tree during winter storms or any other inclement weather, as wind could potentially knock free a loose branch which would fall on you, or ice could potentially cause slips or other accidents.

A blanket of snow may make assessing the damage of small trees difficult. You may want to wait for when the ice melts to determine the health of these trees.

You can also mill frozen timber, but you may want to use blades designed for hardwoods, or alternatively wait for spring to do your milling.

Ice and snow damage are an expected facet of owning trees, but judging when tree is beyond saving can be difficult.

The rules of thumb are: be safe, assess the broken branches and determine how much crown coverage is left and determine the likelihood for rehabilitation. It’s possible many trees can be saved through treatment, while others may be beyond saving. Regardless, waiting for the spring to melt ice and clear your working area may be best.

Even if your tree will survive, you may be left with many fallen limbs and are looking for a way to get rid of them. A Wood Chipper can be a useful tool to help eliminate wood debris and provides a useful material for your gardens or pathways.

If you do decide to try and care for the trees, you will have to care for any bark damage to the tree trunk, help the tree avoid pests and disease, as well as prune any broken limbs and potentially straighten the trunk.

Whether you’ve chosen to save the tree, or opted to take it down, hopefully you have the knowledge you need to maintain your property and prepare for the next ice storm.

The Ontario Woodlot Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting owners of privately owned forests and is committed to sustainability. Its members promote, through education and mentorship, the benefits of a healthy ecosystem thereby increasing the enjoyment of our forests. For more information visit their website. You can also read more on this topic here.