Garden after storm: first response for fallen trees

Storm strikes: what happens to your garden?

Heavy storms leave no garden untouched. Winds of 80+ km/h can uproot trees, snap limbs, flatten hedges. The damage looks immediately chaotic. But your first hours determine what you can save and what is lost.

Storm damage to trees works at different levels:

1. Uprooting: The entire tree topples. Roots are exposed, tree lies on ground.
2. Large branch failure: Thick limbs snap off, trunk may remain intact.
3. Top damage: Tree top breaks or bends, trunk still stands.
4. Stem splitting: Trunk splits down the middle into two halves.

How you respond depends entirely on what happened. Some trees can be saved. Some are lost. Some are immediately dangerous.

First priority: Safety above all

What you MUST NOT do in the first hours after a storm:

• Do not stand under fallen trees. Branches may still fall.
• Do not saw large limbs yourself. Risk of serious injury.
• Do not touch electrical wires. If tree contacts power lines, electrocution is possible.
• Do not attempt to drag an entire tree away.

Call a professional tree surgeon immediately if:

• Tree threatens houses, sheds, or neighbouring properties.
• Electrical lines are damaged.
• Tree lies across street or driveway.
• Tree is so large you cannot safely handle it yourself.

This is not DIY work. Professional tree services have insurance, equipment and training.

What-if: After the initial emergency response

Imagine: the storm has passed. No electrical damage, tree lies in your own back garden, no one is injured. Now what?

Step 1: Assess whether the tree still has life

This determines whether you can save it or must remove it.

Signs of life:

• Bark is still green and living (bend bark back - green underneath).
• Limbs bend flexibly, do not snap off immediately.
• Growth has occurred this year (young green leaves, fresh twigs).

Signs of death:

• Bark is dry and grey, not flexible.
• All limbs snap like twigs - no flexibility at all.
• No growth this season.
• Stem break shows exposed wood (not bark).

A uprooted tree with green bark and flexible limbs still has chances. A tree with grey, desiccated bark is probably dead.

Step 2: Clear small branch fragments

Saw all limbs thinner than your thumb into small pieces. You can clear these yourself. Always saw flush against the branch, never in the middle.

Larger limbs (thicker than an arm) leave alone. See step 4.

Step 3: Decide: attempt recovery or remove?

Recovery suitable for:

• Tree tipped gently, roots are partially intact
• Tree is young and flexible (under 15 years old)
• Stem break is not complete - trunk still connects

Removal better for:

• Tree completely uprooted with exposed roots (more than half a metre)
• Stem break is complete (trunk split in two)
• Tree is very old (40+ years) - recovery is extremely difficult

Step 4: Recovery attempt - stand fallen tree upright

This is possible, but you need help. Never do it alone.

What you need:

• 3-4 strong people
• Rope or strong straps
• Hammer or mallet
• Wooden stakes or support posts

Approach:

1. Clean around roots. Remove soil round roots without breaking them.
2. Saw large limbs away that lie along the ground and obstruct. Leave only small limbs.
3. Gently lift the tree upright using limbs and rope. Maintain balance carefully.
4. Position wooden stakes or posts to hold tree upright.
5. Bind tree to stakes with rope. Use multiple directions.
6. Ensure tree gets sufficient water (first months).

Over the following weeks the tree will attempt to heal. Many trees survive this.

Step 5: Remove large limbs (professional help)

Limbs thicker than your arm you do not saw yourself. This is where tree surgeons excel. Have them do this work. Costs usually run 100-400 euros depending on size.

Ask the tree surgeon to:

• Saw limbs up to 15-20 cm diameter
• Cut flush, no bark tearing
• Leave 5 cm of branch collar (do not cut flush to the stem)
• Stack wood for you to collect

Specific scenarios

Scenario 1: Tree has tipped but stands partially upright

This happens when a heavy side limb or branch keeps it from falling completely.

• Carefully saw away heavily hanging limbs.
• Leave tree upright if it still has strong roots.
• Monitor for cracks in the stem.

Scenario 2: Tree completely uprooted and fallen

• Roots are exposed, completely torn from soil.
• Tree is probably lost. Remove it.

Do not attempt to stand it up with exposed root damage. The damage is permanent.

Scenario 3: Top breakage - the top is snapped off

• Tree still stands, but top is missing.
• Tree is not dead. A new top will grow in coming years.
• Saw the broken end cleanly.
• Tree can continue growing and recover.

Scenario 4: Stem splitting - trunk splits down the middle

• Two halves still hang together.
• This is almost always a death sentence. The tree will rot from inside.
• Remove the tree. Do not attempt to bind or glue.

Special plants affected by storm damage

Fruit trees (apple, pear, plum):

• Often very flexible, recover well from uprooting.
• If stem is not broken, definitely attempt to stand upright.

Conifers (spruce, pine):

• Grow very stiffly, break easily.
• Fallen conifer is usually lost.
• If top snaps, tree can still grow years, but grows asymmetrically.

Broadleaf trees (oak, beech, linden):

• Very strong wood, break less easily.
• Fallen broadleaf tree can often be saved if stem is intact.

Shrubs (hedge, forsythia):

• Very flexible. Wait a week, then they usually right themselves.
• Give no help, they snap upright on their own.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I wait before standing a fallen tree upright?

Immediately after all leaves and snow fall off. Each day longer you wait, the more the tree "forgets" which way was upright. First day to three days is ideal. After a week is possible but more difficult.

My tree survived the storm but is now growing at an angle. Should I let it grow sideways?

Yes. After recovery most trees grow at an angle. After three to five years a new top grows vertically and the tree looks nearly normal. It just takes longer.

Should I spray the tree with fungicide after recovery?

No. Bark has self-healing properties. No sealant or spraying needed. Let the tree heal at its own pace.

Tree is uprooted and now standing upright, but roots are damaged. Will this last long?

Probably 1-3 years. Damaged roots will regrow, but it takes years. The tree could blow over again in wind. Provide firm support (stakes) for the first two seasons.

Can I reuse storm wood (fallen tree trunks)?

Yes! Saw pieces for:

• Composting (small pieces)
• Garden furniture
• Firewood (after drying several months)
• Bird boxes (use only small limbs)

Large timber you can deliver to waste processing or have chipped (tree services offer this).

Step-by-step

Step 1: Prioritise safety first

Check electricity, water, drainage. Call professionals for major hazards.

Step 2: Clear small branches

Saw thin limbs into pieces. Tidy up.

Step 3: Assess whether tree is still alive

Check bark colour and flexibility.

Step 4: Decide whether to recover or remove

Young tree with intact roots = recover. Old tree with exposed roots = remove.

Step 5: Stand upright (with help)

Gently lift using rope. Position stakes for support.

Step 6: Have large limbs removed by professional

Have tree surgeon saw limbs thicker than your arm.

Step 7: Care for tree in coming months

Water, avoid overfertilising, monitor for rot.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if tree damage is permanent?

No growth two months after recovery = dead. Growth appears = still living. Allow three months for real assessment.

Tree is growing at an angle after recovery. Can I stand it straight again?

No. Leave it, the tree will straighten itself. Attempting again damages roots further.

Should I fertilise tree after storm damage?

Gently. Wait four weeks, then add compost round roots. No chemical fertiliser immediately after damage.

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