In Hillsborough County, hurricane season runs from June through November, and your trees are often the biggest risk to your roof, vehicles, and power lines. A little preparation in late spring and early summer can be the difference between a cleaned-up yard and a crushed fence.
At Tyger's Lawn & Tree Service, storm prep is one of our most requested services. Here's the checklist our crews use when we prep a Tampa-area property.
1. Thin the canopy — don't top it
Proper canopy thinning lets wind pass through the tree instead of pushing against it like a sail. The key word is proper: topping a tree (cutting it flat across the top) actually makes it more dangerous, because the weak regrowth snaps easily in high winds.
2. Remove dead and hanging limbs
Deadwood becomes a projectile in 70+ mph winds. Walk your property and look for limbs that are leafless in season, cracked, or hanging over structures. Anything within falling distance of your home, driveway, or a neighbor's property should come down before a storm does it for you.
3. Check the root zone and lean
Saturated Florida soil means shallow-rooted trees can uproot fast. Warning signs include fresh leaning, cracked or heaving soil at the base, and mushrooms growing around the roots. If you see any of these, get a professional assessment — these trees can fail without warning.
4. Don't forget the palms
Palms handle wind well, but only when they're trimmed correctly. Remove dead fronds and heavy seed pods, but never 'hurricane cut' a palm down to a few upright fronds — that starves the tree and weakens the trunk.
5. Know when to call a professional
Anything you can't reach from the ground, anything near power lines, and anything over your roof is professional territory. Our crews are fully licensed and insured, and we offer priority storm-response service for our regular maintenance customers.
- Dead or hanging limbs over structures
- Trees leaning or with lifted root plates
- Limbs touching or near power lines
- Large oaks or pines that haven't been trimmed in 3+ years
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