What to Do If Your Cedars Are Leaning After Heavy BC Rain or Windstorms

It can be a scary sight to see leaning cedar trees around your property after one of BC’s famous rain or windstorms. Especially if they are leaning towards houses, powerlines or other important features. There are a few options to try to improve the situation, depending on the degree of lean. For instance, pruning, staking, or cabling can help a tree stabilise, and cedar hedges reduce wind pressure.

Options to deal with leaning cedar trees

• Pruning
• Staking
• Cabling/Bracing
• Cedar hedge windbreak

Trees with a mild lean of less than 15° are more easily fixed than those leaning more heavily. In fact, trees with tilts greater than that can be dangerous so call for a professional assessment in those cases. 

Pruning

Dead, damaged and even healthy sections of a tree cause extra weight that encourages a lean in strong winds or heavy rains. Pruning off dead and damaged parts, and selectively thinning other sections, reduces wind resistance and water weight, and helps balance a tree so it’s more able to withstand challenging conditions.

Staking

Staking involves hammering stakes into the ground around the tree, then securing the tree to them with flexible tree straps. Generally, staking supports the tree, but doesn’t hinder it, so it can still build strength over time. This is a great method for young cedar trees and transplants. After 6 months to a year or two, it may be strong enough to withstand storms by itself.

Cabling/Bracing

Cabling (affixed from limb to limb within a tree), and bracing (rods penetrate the tree) are two ways to save leaning larger trees that have weaker or compromised natural support.

Cedar hedge windbreak

Our cedar hedges, which can grow up to 10-15’ high, make very effective windbreaks. They will bear the brunt of the wind and take the pressure off surrounding trees, provided they are spaced properly. Additionally, since cedars don’t drop their leaves in winter, they continue providing this benefit specifically over the seasons when our stormy weather peaks.

Sometimes, trees suffer too much damage to recover from after severe rain or wind storms and the only option is to replace them. If you’re looking for replacements, additional trees, or to grow your own cedar windbreaks, come see us for professional and friendly, farm-grown, cedar hedges and cedar tree sales.

Pacific West Cedar provides consumers with the ability to purchase premium cedar trees directly from our farm in Langley. If you have questions about cedars, contact us and we'll be happy to help. 778-241-5664