Saving Salt Damaged Trees

As you look down the south side of East Long Island, interesting two-tone trees become visible. Half green and thriving and the other half brown, dried and dying. It is clear that this is salt damage and it is also clear that it is a result of Hurricane Sandy – but you can’t help but ask, “What is happening to my trees?!”

When the salt that is carried in the heavy winds coming off the ocean, hits the trees one of two things happens. The new buds can get sprayed with salty water which kills them or the water can accumulate near the roots. When this happens, the salt breaks down and the sodium gets drawn into the tree. Other nutrients are blocked from getting to the tree. So the damage comes from above the ground and under the ground. Now that you know what is happening, you can’t help but ask, “What do I do know?!”

The answer is clear – these trees need to be fertilized to be able to replenish nutrients that have been depleted or prevented from reaching the higher branches of the tree. Deep root fertilization will get to the source of the problem and these trees will turn around in one season. Besides this, these trees should be on a controlled irrigation system that will give them enough water to flush the salt out but not flood them.

Companies in Southampton have started pushing new trees for the spring because of the salt damage but Sterling Tree knows that it is very premature to be even thinking about replacing trees without a proper fertilization program that has proven to be effective time and time again.

Call Sterling Tree and Lawn today and have a Board Certified Master Arborist assess the damage on your property.