Spring snowstorms – like the snowstorm Denver just experienced – often create wet, heavy snow and the snow’s weight can cause considerable damage to a property’s trees and shrubs. Here are 5 tips for handling snow-damaged trees and shrubs:

Assess the area. Before clearing branches, make sure the surrounding area is safe. Broken tree branches often affect and damage utility lines. Be sure to take the proper steps to ensure the situation is safe – this could mean cutting the power to those lines until clean up can be handled.

Check the damage. Trees and shrubs that bend under the weight of the snow will recover. If a tree is overall healthy and possess its main branch, most of its major limbs, and 50 percent or more of its crown (top branches), then the tree has good chances of making a full recovery.

Be patient. There is little during a snowstorm, or in the immediate days following, that you can do to help a tree. Remove any hazards and broken branches, but save major decisions for later. Concentrate on how to save the tree rather than making an impulse decision to chop it down.

Don’t over prune. Remove and prune the damaged parts of the tree. The tree might look uneven for a bit however trees quickly grow new foliage that will soon cover up the bare areas.

Seek help. If the job requires a chainsaw or later or is just too much to handle, contact an insured, certified commercial company that can help assess the situation and with the clean up.

For more information when it comes to assessing and cleaning up damaged trees, visit 9News.com or the Colorado State Forest Service website.

Terracare Associates leaders in outdoor maintenance for commercial and public properties.  Find best practices, tips and industry news at Terracare Talks.