Tree Cabling And Bracing In Birchcliff, Toronto

Tree cabling and bracing give a split or top-heavy maple, oak or linden a second set of supports, so a tree with one weak joint can keep shading the yard. The hardware is a steel cable strung between upper limbs, or a threaded rod passed through a split, and both go in during a single climb.

A cable does not make a weak tree strong. It keeps two stems from swaying too far apart in a gust, which eases the strain on the fork that joins them. A rod bolted through a split trunk clamps the halves so the crack cannot open further. Both are used for trees that are worth keeping but need help, like a big old maple with a V-shaped fork above the house.

Before we suggest cabling, we check the health of the whole tree. There is no point in bracing a tree with a rotten base. You will hear a straight opinion on whether the tree deserves cables or a chainsaw. All cabling work is fully insured.

One cable system in Toronto tends to run $400 to $1,200, and that includes the light pruning that takes weight off the supported limbs. We put that price in writing after our free visit.

We look at the fork, the trunk and the roots. If the wood around the weak spot is sound and the tree is otherwise healthy, cabling can work. If there is serious decay or the crack goes deep into the trunk, removal is safer.

It causes very little harm. Bolts sit in narrow drilled holes, and the living wood slowly closes around them. It is far less stressful to the tree than losing a major limb in a storm.

Once a year is a good rule. We look at the hardware, check the tension and make sure the tree has not grown around anything in a bad way. Most cable systems last many years with regular checks.

Sometimes. Birch wood is not as strong as maple or oak, and birch trees in borer decline are poor candidates. A healthy birch with a small split can be braced. A declining one is usually better removed.