Hang holiday decorations while protecting the health of your trees
By Kyle Marie McMahon
It’s holiday decorating season in the City of Oaks! In order to ensure the health and longevity of the trees in your area, Certified Arborist Matthew Scott of Davey Tree of Raleigh provides advice on how to avoid harming your trees when adding holiday lights and decorations to your home this winter. Here are his tips for a festive and tree-friendly holiday season.
Large nails cause unnecessary damage, particularly to trees under 10 inches in diameter. Most trees can tolerate small holes, but too many or too large and the tree can become susceptible to pests, disease or fungal growth. If this type of application is your only option, Scott advises avoiding rust-prone materials and limiting the number of holes, particularly on smaller trees. Non-invasive methods for hanging lights and other decorations include tree-safe clips and ties.
Smaller trees are more sensitive to weight and pressure. Avoid hanging heavy ornaments or using them as anchors for lights. For young or newly planted trees, it’s best to skip decorating altogether until they’ve matured. As noted previously, smaller trees will show signs of strain quicker, whether from nail holes or girdling, so if your options are limited, use non-invasive hooks and decorate with light and loose materials.
Wrapping lights around tree trunks and branches creates a festive look, and it’s tempting to keep them up to enjoy the sparkle throughout the year, but prolonged use can harm trees as they grow. If you put them up now and take them down right after the season, you’re fine. However, leaving lights up for months risks embedding them into the tree and causing permanent damage. “If lights are left on for a long period of time, that tree will start to grow a little bit and [the lights] can girdle the tree and end up doing some damage,” Scott says. Girdling is the process of cutting into the bark, preventing nutrients being spread from the roots. If lights are wrapped too tightly around the tree, girdling will happen faster, particularly on smaller branches. Scott recommends wrapping lights loosely to allow breathing room for growth, giving you more time with your decorated tree.
The holidays are a great time to inspect your trees up close. Look for signs of damage or decay, such as cracks, splits or mushrooms. “There are certain wood decay fungi that you’re only going see the mushrooms in the fall. Any that are on the trunk or roots or that flare at the base of the tree is a pretty good sign of decay and probably a sign that you need to get it checked out,” Scott says. Many healthy trees will have lichen and moss, but if these coincide with a thin canopy or leaves and needles dropping early, they can be a sign of an unhealthy tree. Crepe myrtles are also susceptible to bark scale, which appears as white dots on the bark and can blacken trunks.
Realistic-looking artificial berries can pose a hazard to wildlife. “Birds and squirrels might think they’re real and start pecking at them,” Scott warns. Opt for other festive, animal-safe decorations to keep the holiday spirit alive without endangering local fauna.
By following these tips, you can keep your trees healthy and your outdoor displays dazzling. The holidays are a great time to care for the trees that bring beauty to our homes year-round. With a little care, you can enjoy the magic of the season while ensuring your trees stay strong and healthy.
