Source: stock.xchngTrees are one of Nature’s wonders as they can absorb a remarkable amount of damage before being seriously affected. Still, a lightning strike is a particularly brutal assault on the infrastructure of a tree. Here are some of the ways that lightning damages a tree and how you can help it recover.
A lightning strike introduces a large amount of energy into a tree. This energy manifests itself almost exclusively as heat. Sap will heat and eventually boil, water within the tree will turn to steam causing cells to explode and bark to peel off the tree. This physical damage can actually kill a tree if its extent is great enough.
Saving a tree that has been hit by lightning involves pruning the worst of the damage and carefully monitoring its progress. The tree should show signs of recovering without the extensive use of fertilizers and growth hormones. Otherwise, in the long term, it is a losing battle.
For more information on reducing lightning damage to your trees, or for tree care services in Kansas City in general, contact us at Cartwright Tree Services. You can find us online at cartwrighttree.com or you can call us directly at 816-965-6758.