You may have noticed that trees around the edge of your yard often grow leaning inward, towards the light and open space.  Trees along the roadways also tend to grow leaning inward, toward the street, causing poor visibility and safety hazards.  Later, when the tree dies, it naturally falls toward the street or open space.  In the summer, tree limbs, weighted down with heavy leaves, can hide street signs and block visibility.  In winter, trees and limbs, weighted down with heavy ice & snow can hang down into the travel lane, slapping school busses and plow trucks as they pass…

Wintertime poses some unique challenges for trees.  Wood freezes, loses its flexibility and becomes brittle.  These days, we seem to see snow mixed with ice more often than in the past.  Ice, especially, will weigh a tree’s branches down, sometimes to the breaking point.  Pine branches, in particular, are susceptible to breaking under heavy ice and snow.  Murphy’s Law says that any pine branch that hangs over the roof of a house has a much higher likelihood of snapping under heavy ice and falling than a tree branch in the forest.  Double topped trees are also at risk during the…