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Quick question. There are 3 tree surgeons in my local area and none are available today...

I have a tree which is about the height of my house. If I wrap my hands around the trunk the trunk is about 2 and a half hands around. At about 10ft the trunk stops and branches come out making the crown? The leafy part of the tree.

The tree is about 10ft from my conservatory. If it hit my conservatory I can foresee broken glass but really the tree doesn't have enough mass to to destroy or do any real structural damage.

I do not want this tree to come down. I don't know if I can wait and hope through the night. I was thinking about giving it a little prune. As the tree still has leaves I figure I just need to take off a medium sized branch which has a lot of leaves on it. This should reduce the wind resistance and keep the tree upright.

Has anyone done something like this?

I feel that I could tackle this with a step ladder and hack saw without too much difficulty and without any real danger.

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  • It is hard work, but providing support should also help. If the soil is loose around the tree, you are going to have to drive your support posts deep - hence the hard work.
    – winwaed
    Jan 5, 2012 at 14:19
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    Bob i see you are in the UK, so you might want to edit your question and mention the gales we've been having over the last few days so non-UK audience is in the picture. I assume that's what you're worrying about. I found a tree down this morning, it's missed my greenhouse by inches.
    – Tea Drinker
    Jan 5, 2012 at 14:37
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    Why is the ground moving? Why is the tree moving?
    – thursdaysgeek
    Jan 5, 2012 at 23:39

3 Answers 3

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If there's something available, temporarily guy (tie) it to something upwind that is more fixed, with a sturdy rope, looping around the top of the trunk. For me, I usually tie to other trees. Tie to the upwind tree near the ground.

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We have a huge mole/vole problem here. Dig/upturn some soil near the tree and look for white grubs. If that is the case, milky spores treatment for a few years, and nematodes will kill the grubs and get rid of the moles/voles. Takes a few years of tending, but very effective.

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  • are you saying that moles and voles will cause trees to be poorly stabilized?
    – kevinskio ♦
    Sep 26, 2012 at 23:27
  • I don't see how this is an answer to this question... please read the question carefully before posting.
    – Lorem Ipsum
    Sep 27, 2012 at 14:07
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    If the mole/vole problem is severe, yes. They have tilted some of our small trees and we have to continually step down on the tunnels to keep the trees and other bushes from tilting. The question was 'why is the ground moving' so it is a possible reason.
    – 2Bleu - zone 7b
    Sep 30, 2012 at 5:00
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Without more information on the type of tree, age and a picture of the branch structure even an arborist would find it hard to say.

A poorly pruned tree with a strong wood like an oak could be a greater danger than a well pruned tree with a tendency to split.

It is easier for a tree to blow over when the soil is thin, or if it has no other trees to act as windbreaks, or if it is a mature specimen. If your tree has a number of these factors then some support as indicated by Ed might help you during a windy time. However this forum is not a place for definitive advice without more information.

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