During the winter season, temperatures are dropping low and the chance for ice and even snow increases. Those located near our Charlotte, NC or Greenville, SC locations know especially well that we had a serious snow episode recently, leaving some places covered under 10+ inches. As the temperature dropped to allow such cold conditions, many trees couldn’t handle the weight of snow under frozen and brittle branches. Our crews responded to multiple broken limbs and trees that had completely uprooted or damaged structures. In the wake of all this clean-up, what are some next steps when it comes to your trees and shrubs? Here are a few “What do I do now?” ideas should you walk outside and find a limb (or a tree!) has fallen.

Call A Professional

Arborists are tree doctors; they know their stuff! They are the most qualified people to have on your property after the damage has happened. These tree service professionals can examine all of your trees and shrubs and give you recommendations on what can be treated to return to health or what will need to be removed, especially for safety reasons. Once they give you their professional opinion on what needs to happen next, you’ll have a better idea of which direction you should go.

Remove Hazards

When damage happens, take a look around your property and talk to your arborist. If you have broken branches on your trees that are barely hanging on or a tree leaning over your house (or your neighbor’s house!), you may want to talk to your arborist about removing those items to avoid future risk to any structures or vehicles on your property.

Get On A Program

At Schneider Tree Care, our arborists are dedicated to assisting you in keeping your trees and shrubs healthy. One way we do this is by putting your plants on a customized Shrub and Tree Care Program to make sure they are getting all the proper nutrients and care that they need. If your plants are on a Program, our technicians will be on-site multiple times throughout the year, checking to make sure everything looks good, as well as notifying both you and your arborist if anything stands out that might need extra attention. Make sure your trees and shrubs are healthy so that they are better equipped to withstand harsh weather—including snow storms. You never know when cold temperatures might cause damage to those valuable trees on your property!