There’s a self-described tree service knocking on doors in my street, trying to get people to pay them to do “wind sail reduction” on their trees. My neighbor just agreed to have them prune 17 of her conifers. Bad idea, right? Can you point me toward resources so I can dissuade her from going ahead with this plan?
Yes. The Washington Department of Natural Resources published an article, “Trees Don’t Wind Sail, Do They?,” in their online newsletter, Ear to the Ground, 12/20/2011. Here is an excerpt:
“Some people claiming to be tree experts will tell you that ‘wind sailing’ is a great way to protect your trees from wind damage. You may have heard this fabricated notion of thinning limbs from trees in order to make them stable during wind storms. This improper pruning technique is promoted to supposedly make trees safer in the wind by allowing wind to pass through the canopy of a tree, thus reducing movement and strain on a tree. Not so!
“This may sound reasonable and may even seem to have some logic behind it. But beware–the truth is, there is no scientific study that shows thinning is wise or safe way to decrease resistance during a wind storm.
“Actually, many studies have shown that the outside limbs can divert some wind from the center of the tree and act as a buffering shield. Aggressive thinning, on the other hand, can make the remaining branches more vulnerable to failure; left isolated, these limbs must take on the elements alone. Pruning out a major portion of a tree’s canopy for the sake of staying upright during a wind storm harms most trees in the long run.”
The DNR has another, similar article from 12/6/2012 in their Tree Link News entitled ‘Windsail Reduction:’ A Northwest Controversy.’
You can also suggest that your neighbor speak to someone at Plant Amnesty, a local organization dedicated to teaching the community about proper pruning techniques (as well as informing them about ill-advised methods!).