How to Prepare Tallahassee Trees for Hurricane Season
Hurricane season in Tallahassee doesn’t really “begin.” It just sort of creeps in, the same way the humidity does in late May. You’re going about your week, thinking everything is normal, and then suddenly everyone is talking about a storm spinning somewhere way out in the Atlantic. The grocery stores start looking picked over. Neighbors drag out old generators that definitely won’t start on the first pull. The funny thing is that most problems during storms come from trees people haven’t looked at in months. Not the big dramatic ones you see on the news, just regular branches that snap and fall exactly where you don’t want them to. Preparing them isn’t a huge project, but it makes a ridiculous difference.
Start With a Slow, Honest Look Around the Yard
Most folks do a quick glance and think, “Yeah, looks fine.” That’s not the walk I’m talking about. You need the kind where you actually stop and stare at things for a moment. Go out early, when Tallahassee air hasn’t turned into soup yet. Walk under the branches. Look up. Look down. Notice how close some limbs are to your roof. Storm winds don’t need the whole tree to fall. One heavy branch, tossed the wrong way, can punch a hole straight into your attic. If a branch is already resting near the roof or leaning over a window like it’s trying to peek inside, that’s a problem. Same with branches that cross over each other. They rub, they weaken, and when the wind hits, they snap faster than you realize. And if you’re planning new landscaping, remember that proper placement matters—our Best Tree Planting Services in Tallahassee, FL ensure your trees grow safely, away from structures, and with long-term health in mind.
Rot Hides Until It Doesn’t
Oaks in Tallahassee look strong until they suddenly aren’t. You can tap the trunk with your knuckles and hear a hollow sound sometimes. That’s not great. Mushrooms around the base? Also not good. Soft patches of bark that crumble when you press them? The tree is basically whispering, “I can’t do this much longer.” A lot of people ignore these signs because the tree still looks mostly fine from a distance. But hurricane winds don’t care how pretty the top looks. If the bottom is weak, the whole thing turns into a giant lever waiting to fall. And when these old oaks go down, they don’t fall politely. Leaning trees are another red flag. A little lean is normal. A lean that suddenly gets more dramatic each year isn’t. After a big rain, look at the ground around the trunk. If the soil looks swollen or pushed up on one side, that tree is shifting. Storm winds will finish the job.
Palm Trees Aren’t As Tough As Everyone Thinks
You’d think palms love storms because of how flexible they are, but Tallahassee palms get messy fast. Some homeowners give their palms that ridiculous “hurricane cut,” shaving them into weird pineapple shapes. That actually weakens the tree and makes it more likely to snap. What you want is simple: remove the old, dead fronds. The brown crunchy ones. The ones that flop down and look like they’re hanging on by nothing. Those fly around during storms. A palm that’s cleaned up, not stripped, bends better and survives better. Contact us today!
