Preparation and planning should be done before the start of hurricane season, which is on June 1st.  When a storm is approaching many people panic and rush to prune trees, which is not a good time to prune. Tree care should happen year-round, and “hurricane pruning” is never recommended. 

Please make sure you follow UF/IFAS recommendations and always hire a certified arborist to do the work.

Here is some helpful information for before and after a storm. 

Hiring an arborist
Trees and Hurricanes website
New research on pruning to reduce wind damage (contains pruning techniques, videos and pruning comparisons)
Proper pruning near power lines
Tree management for wind resistance
Proper pruning of palms
Restoring damaged palms

For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.

Learn more about gardening and landscaping in central Florida on our podcast, Your Central Florida Yard by clicking here.

If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

An Equal Opportunity Institution.

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