Tree Bracing: To Cable or Not to Cable

All trees are unique, and no two trees will grow alike. Some will grow in strange and beautifully odd ways. The ability to stabilize your tree is important in order to prolong its healthy life, no matter how it grows. Sometimes your tree may need to use cabling or bracing in order to support its growth. There are many reasons why you should or shouldn’t cable a tree. Let’s talk about the benefits and drawbacks of cabling your tree.

Why Cable or Brace a Tree?

There are several reasons you may need to cable or brace a tree. If a tree is healthy but has a potential weakness at one of its unions, a cable can reduce the chance of issues occurring and help maintain the health of your tree. Alternatively, if weakness has already developed, you may need to preserve it by adding a brace to prevent any further damage. If a tree has a chance of failure and is in an area people commonly frequent, you may want to cable it in order to offer protection.

Drawbacks of Cabling a Tree

Your tree grows, and a cabled tree must be regularly checked in order to ensure the health and safety of the tree. Watering a tree will increase the weight, which changes the angles needed. As a tree ages, it will keep growing. The tree will become dependent on the cable and will grow in order to adapt to the change. Because of that, cables can never be removed from a tree. In many cases, a cable may save a tree and give it a longer life, but in many other cases, it will be better to remove the tree. 

It is best to be able to find the problem before it gets to the point an arborist needs to cable a tree. Cabling is a big part of modern tree care; however, if you are able to prevent the need for cabling, the health and longevity of your tree will be improved. When taking care of a tree, you must think one or two decades ahead in order to properly mitigate these issues before they arise. 

Types of Cabling

There are two kinds of cabling you can use when taking care of your tree:

Static Cabling

Static cabling is installed if a branch cracks or is in immediate danger of failing. It is installed as triangular cabling and as horizontally as possible. It is only used when there is no other option, as it can cause decay where it is installed and can cause tree rigidity, which causes issues with high winds.

Dynamic Cabling

Dynamic systems allow for more flexibility in the tree, allowing it to keep its movement in the wind. The tree will also strengthen around the area the cable is installed. Dynamic cabling is used in most cases to support branches or stems. Dynamic cabling, like its static counterpart, should be installed horizontally and as triangle cabling. 

Legacy Tree Company is a tree service company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that is raising the standard for innovative, ethical tree care. Its mission is to sustain the Albuquerque urban forest for generations with services like tree trimming & pruning, tree & stump removal, tree bracing & cabling, tree planting, consultations, and tree irrigation. Click here to contact us via our online form, or give us a call at (505) 312-8865.

Contact:
Legacy Tree Company
100 El Pueblo Rd NW Unit A
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 312-8865