Timber! As LAUMC mourns loss of ‘friend,’ local experts ponder tree vulnerability during recent storms

Beyond the initial relief that no one was hurt by the fallen tree, LAUMC members then turned wistful and sad over the loss of a longtime friend that had been part of the church’s scenery since it was first established in 1950.

Wagner herself wasn’t initially moved.

“It’s a tree, people. It was a sick tree,” she started. “And then I started hearing about the baptisms, the weddings – one of our directors of facilities, and one of our past pastors, they were married here, and they have their wedding pictures out by that tree. And I was, like, this is more than just a tree. And it made me cry. It was such a huge thing. It’s a part of this church. It’s been here the whole time. It was here before the church was.”

The church, which also suffered a power outage that day, made one of 37 calls the city of Los Altos received Jan. 10 for downed trees and branches, according to Manny Hernandez, the city’s parks and recreation director.

“City crews handle removal and cleanup of all trees on city property,” Hernandez said. “Although trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner, city crews immediately clear fallen trees and branches from public rights-of-ways such as sidewalks and streets.”

Mitigating damage

What factors play into mighty oaks falling and other trees remaining upright? According to tree experts, the answers are varied and complex.

“Water is part of the problem,” said Gary Ortega, owner of Valley Tree Care Service Inc. “Monterey pines, redwoods, they all need water and they don’t get enough water. So, over time, they start to rot. … Most of the trees around here that are over 50 years old, a portion of them are hollow at the trunk – every time a tree falls over, we see it’s hollow inside or it’s rotten, 50% of the time or more.”

Ortega suggested, “If you see a tree with a cavity or a hole, have somebody come out and take a look at it. If you see bees living in a tree, squirrels – that means they’re hollow.”

Another problem is shallow root systems, Ortega said, with some redwoods going only a foot deep.

He also advised “reduction” of heavy branches that can weigh trees down and lead to toppling, and recommended a thorough watering at least once a month during the dry summer months.

“A tree could look perfectly healthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy,” said Peter Pazmany, president of Pazmany Brothers Landscaping. “Having your trees inspected, having a maintenance routine for them, is important.

Pazmany offered several questions homeowners should ask.

“I think some of it (trees falling) could be related to how the tree’s installed, right?” he said. “Is it installed at a proper height? Does it have soil amendments? Does it acclimate well? Is it an appropriate tree for that environment? Some of these things, I think, are components that really influence how well a tree can handle a storm.”