Tree Cabling in Millcreek, PA

What does tree cabling involve?

Tree cabling connects two weak trunks or heavy limbs with a steel or synthetic cable high in the canopy, about two thirds of the way up. The cable limits how far the limbs can pull apart in wind. For a fork that's already cracked, we may also add a threaded steel rod through the union, called bracing.

When does a tree need cabling?

A tree needs cabling when it has two or more trunks of similar size growing in a tight V, especially with bark pinched inside the fork. Other signs are a crack starting at the union, or one huge limb stretched over the house. Cabling makes sense only on a tree that's otherwise healthy.

Why do some trees split apart?

Silver maples, Callery pears, and many older lindens and elms often grow competing trunks joined by weak wood. Each year the trunks get heavier. In Millcreek, a load of wet snow or a strong west wind off the lake is often what finally pulls a weak fork open.

What affects the cost of cabling a tree?

• Tree size and how high the cable has to go.
• Number of cables or rods needed.
• Cable type, since steel and synthetic systems are priced differently.
• Pruning to lighten the limbs, which is usually done at the same time.

Should you cable the tree or remove it?

Cable the tree when the trunks are solid, the crack is small, and the tree is worth keeping for shade or value. Take the tree down when the union is rotten, the split runs deep, or the tree is dying. Cabling works best alongside reducing the weight with pruning. If the tree already failed in a storm, it's a job for our storm damage crew.

What do homeowners ask about tree cabling?

Does cabling damage the tree?

Steel cables need small drilled anchors, which the tree grows around. Synthetic systems wrap the limbs with no drilling. Either one is far less harm than a split trunk.

How long does a tree cable last?

Cables last many years, but they should be inspected every year or two. The tree keeps growing, and hardware needs adjusting or replacing over time.

Will cabling guarantee the tree won't fail?

No. Cabling lowers the risk of a split. It doesn't remove it. That's why we only recommend it on trees that are sound enough to be worth the investment.