AS winter gives way to spring, Cabonne’s trees are preparing for a fresh flush of leaves, but after a particularly wet year, local arborist and owner of Mainline Treecare & Conservation, Roshan Eiseman is urging people to take a closer look at the trees around their homes.
Mr Eiseman has worked as an arborist for about 10 years and has owned his own business for six years, carrying out tree work across Orange and the Cabonne area.
He said much of the storm damage he sees could potentially be prevented with regular assessment and maintenance.
“A lot of the storm damage we get, or we go to is preventable,” Mr Eiseman said.
“That goes back to having professionals who know what they’re looking for coming in and looking at your trees.”
For homeowners concerned about a large tree near a house or other structure, Mr Eiseman said an assessment can be a worthwhile investment.
“The expense of getting someone to have a look at it is way less than the result,” he said.
For renters, issues with dangerous trees should be raised with the real estate agent or landlord.
And the consequences of a failing limb can be significant.
Mr Eiseman has seen branches crash through roofs, with one branch reportedly ending up inside a lounge room, while others have ripped gutters from houses.
But he said identifying a dangerous tree is not always as simple as looking for one that appears obviously unhealthy. Some trees can look perfectly healthy while harbouring underlying problems.
“Even a really healthy-looking tree can have fungal growth on it,” Mr Eiseman said.
People can look for warning signs including unusual bulges where branches meet the trunk or where major branches join one another, which can indicate underlying fungal growth or other problems.
Some species are also more prone to failure than others.
Mr Eiseman said eucalyptus are particularly prominent among the trees he attends in the region.
He also said that this spring may present another consideration for local trees.
Following a wet year, Mr Eiseman said trees are currently carrying a significant amount of water, and when leaves return, that weight will increase further.
“If last year you were walking under the tree and it was just brushing your head when it had leaves on it and it’s lifted up now because it’s got no leaves on it, because the tree’s got so much more water in it… when that extra leaf growth comes on, there could be a high chance that a stressed limb could fail,” he said.
That makes spring a good time to have potentially hazardous trees assessed, particularly those close to houses, sheds, driveways and other places where people regularly spend time.
Mr Eiseman’s advice is not necessarily to remove a problem tree.
In fact, he says he will often look for ways to preserve a tree where it is viable, and the client wants to keep it.
There are techniques that can help make trees safer, including bolting, installing suspended cables through the canopy and using systems that help distribute the load between branches.
“I’ll do what I can to keep a tree there,” he said.
And if removal is the only option, then it does not necessarily mean the end of the tree’s usefulness.
Mr Eiseman said his business tries to make use of as much of the material produced during tree work as possible, including turning timber into mulch and firewood.
There is even an opportunity for locals to make use of mulch produced during work around the region.
“People ring up all the time wanting loads of mulch,” he said.
“If you want a load of mulch and you live nearby, pull over and ask because most of the time we want to get rid of it.”
Another issue Mr Eiseman is keen to see people consider is the protection of elm trees.
He expects Cabonne’s elm leaf beetle treatment cycle to be coming around again this year and is encouraging residents with the species to investigate the process.
The treatment is injected directly into the tree and is designed to protect it when the beetles attack, reducing the impact of the pest population across the area.
Mr Eiseman has personally been treating the elm avenue leading into Molong for several years, as well as trees around Cumnock and other areas.
“The more people that do their trees, the better the effect is around the whole area,” he said.
The wet year has another potential consequence as Cabonne heads towards the warmer weather.
Mr Eiseman said residents should be mindful of storm-damaged branches and other woody material that may have accumulated on the ground.
With fire season approaching, clearing and safely stockpiling or disposing of storm debris can help reduce potential fuel around properties.