If you have had trees installed near you recently or in the past, they may be struggling for life and you don’t even know it. When trees are planted they are very often secured with stakes and straps to keep them from blowing over in heavy winds.

That is good nursery practice. A problem for the trees can arise when those straps are forgotten. When they’re planted, the straps have some give, and the tree is good to go. As the tree grows, however, the trunk gets thicker. They should be removed after the first winter, when the tree has had a chance to spread its roots and stabilize. If the straps are not removed, eventually the tree may grow over the straps.

This can cause girdling of the tree, so the fluids that travel up and down inside the bark are cut off, so the tree slowly dies. This is a call for help. Please check all the trees around you to be sure that there are no straps bound tightly around the trunk or branches.

This can especially be a problem for evergreen trees where the stakes and straps may be covered by the foliage. If you find some, cut the strap and completely remove it from the tree. If the tree has started to grow over the strap, this is especially important. Doing this will help your tree to live a long, healthy, larger life.