Local tree trimmer gives tips on tree safety ahead of storms

Ahead of numerous storms in mid-Missouri this week, a local tree trimmer gave ABC 17 News some tree qualities to watch out for.

Stewart Scott, owner of Cevet Tree Care in Boone County, said tree owners should watch out for dead limbs, particularly those limbs higher up on the tree’s canopy. Such limbs should be getting plenty of sunlight, Scott said, and those dead limbs could be a sign of decay.

Small limbs are normal, but if you start to have dead limbs or a good portion of the canopy, that’s when you need to be concerned,” Scott said.

“Also, fungus, any type of mushroom. If it’s growing in a line out from the tree, there’s a possibility that it’s feeding on dead roots, so that can weaken the structure of the tree.”

Storms this week could bring the chance of strong winds. Fallen trees and limbs have caused at least two power outages in Columbia since March, leaving thousands without power in each instance.

Scott said single-stem trees have the best chance of making it through a storm with little to no damage. Trees that split further up the trunk might not be able to bear the brunt of a storm, Scott said, making it more likely they will break.