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Cabling and Bracing are considered
supplemental support systems for trees. It involves attaching two or
more limbs, leaders, or trees together to help improve the trees
integrity. Although cabling and bracing is beneficial for trees, it
should be known that it is not a sure fire method for stabilizing a
tree. It is merely a preventative method.
To determine if a tree requires cables and/or braces, an arborist
should identify weaknesses or flaws in the tree. This includes bark and
weak branch attachments. If it is necessary to cable a tree, several
steps should be taken before installing the support system. The tree
must first be pruned to remove all excess weight. This determines if
cabling is still necessary and helps ensure a taut cable.
When installing the support system, either steel corrosion resistant
cable or UV light resistant fiber cable is used. Periodic inspection of
the support system is required after installation. The frequency
depends upon the environment, age, and species of the tree. |
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