Pleached trees and Storms

Leestijd: 3 min.
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There are rarely problems with espalier constructions but if the weather forecast announces to stay indoors because trees may fall over, then it is good to take some measures to protect your green buffer. Provided some small preventive interventions, you can protect your espaliers from extreme storms.

Tom
2 November 2023

(Last update: 19 November 2023)

Espalier Structures and Storms

This article does not concern standard total heights (±3 metres). Most standard dimensions pose no issues during storm winds.

In fact, this is one of the major advantages of espaliers compared to regular trees:

Espaliers catch less wind than classic trees.
Espaliers provide efficient privacy at the desired height.
Espaliers do not pose the threat that tall trees can during extreme storms.

This article applies to the following green buffers:

Espaliers taller than 4 metres
Especially evergreen espaliers
Exposed to wind or located in wind corridors
The best thing you can do is prevent damage. A few small interventions can help you sleep soundly.

During storm Eunice, much damage was caused by flying trampolines and garden furniture — damage that could have easily been avoided.

How Can You Prevent Damage?

Prune the Trees

In nearly 100% of cases where an espalier suffers storm damage, it’s due to the crown not being pruned in time. Keeping the crown light through thinning ensures trees withstand storms better.

Stay Within the Intended Dimensions

Espaliers are custom-made. Letting your 4-metre espaliers grow to 5 metres means the support is no longer properly adjusted to the height. If you want 5-metre espaliers, it’s better to match the support accordingly.

Consider Specific Measures

Keep an eye on your trees. If you notice that a particular zone in your screen catches more wind during storms, you can reinforce that area.
Example: the first tree in the row catches the most wind. By reinforcing just that tree, the entire espalier structure experiences less force.

Exceptional Measures for Exceptional Green Buffers

Very tall evergreen espalier structures can easily be equipped with storm protection.

Install one or two anchor points (preferably ground anchors) that can be connected to the green screen in case of extreme storms.
Ensure the trees retain some movement and that support is only provided during the most intense gusts.

A Few Useful Storm Facts:

Home insurance covers tree damage caused by extreme storms.
Multi-stemmed espaliers are more storm-resistant because they absorb force more naturally.
When the soil is very wet, trees are generally less firmly anchored.
The trunks of some trees rarely snap but bend over, such as the Holm Oak.
The most storm-resistant espalier is the Hornbeam.
A broken support post can be collected from us free of charge for quick repair (please contact us first). This is because there may be an exceptional weakness in the post. If multiple posts break, it’s best to contact your insurer.
Older espaliers with well-anchored root systems rarely cause problems.

Holmoak and diseases

Leestijd: 7 min.

Sometimes we get questions about diseases on the holm oak (Quercus ilex). But let me reassure you right away: in almost all cases, the holm oak is not diseased. Like most valuable trees, the holm oak is a tree where several organisms feel at home. You can't call these inhabitants a disease, and besides, the oak doesn't suffer from them at all. Do the leaves of the holm oak turn brownish and/or fall off? If so, this may well indicate an underlying problem. In this article you can read about the most common causes and solutions for brown spots, brown leaves and leaf loss in the holm oak.

Update

Planting depth of trees and espaliers

Leestijd: 5 min.

Trees are still planted too deep. For example, to accommodate height differences but also sometimes out of ignorance. When it comes to planting trees remember this: Better 10 centimetres too high than 2 cm too deep. Planting too deep is the most common cause of tree mortality after planting. Sometimes trees do not die but there is inhibited growth at best and delayed dying at worst. It happens that the planting depth or plant height is not respected to match a hedge or wall. In the case of umbrella trees to match the window height. Espaliers and its collaborating companies have the widest choice in trunk heights and sizes, planting too deep for these reasons cannot be an excuse. We prefer to take a project-based approach to avoid this. It also happens that planting is done correctly but a thick layer of soil cover (e.g. bark) is applied afterwards. In that case, make sure that in the nearby zone of 10 cm around the trunk the layer is very thin (max 1 cm)

Leaf Loss in Hornbeam during summer

Leestijd: 4 min.

Very exceptionally, hornbeams may drop some of their leaves. This is a combination of exceptional conditions and the tree not yet being adequately anchored underground. Hornbeam is a beautiful native tree that can be applied for multiple purposes. It is also one of our strongest native trees that we can integrate close to our habitat. In this article, we talk more about the tree's quirks and give explanations as to why it can sometimes shed leaves. This article is about the hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and not the beech hedge (Fagus sylvatica)

All you need to know about pruning fig trees

Leestijd: 2 min.

A fig tree in the garden is a true blessing. This biblical tree can regularly produce a good harvest even in our regions, allowing you to enjoy fresh figs, dried figs, or fig jam in late summer and early autumn. It’s important to plant the right varieties suited to our climate and to provide them with proper care. The pruning period of a fig tree spans across three seasons. Pruning correctly greatly influences the yield, shape, and health of the tree. In this article, you’ll learn how, when, and why to prune.

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