Check on that tree frequently if you had damage in last weekend's storm

It’s been a week since the wind storm decimated trees across the city. Some were torn from the ground while others lost branches.

You’ve cleaned up the damage, so what’s next?

The damaged tree itself will give you a good indication, said Scott Evans, horticulture program coordinator for the Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties.

Parts of the tree canopy may dry up or leaves start to wilt.

“That’s a flag to tell someone they need to have that tree inspected,” Evans said. “It’s telling you something is broken and should be mitigated as soon as possible so it doesn’t come down in the next thunderstorm.”

If you find jagged edges on branches, try to make clean cuts. That will make it easier for the tree to respond to the damage.

Don’t fertilize damaged trees. That encourages them to grow.

“Right now, it’s stressed out, and we want the tree to recover on its own,” Evans said. “We don’t want to force it to grow.”

Evans recommends checking once a week going forward for broken branches, limbs stuck in trees and wilting. Maybe the tree just doesn’t look right. A certified arborist will tell you the next step.

Make that call as soon as possible.

“If we have an early snowfall, we could see a heck of a lot more damage and limbs breaking,” he said. “We want to take action now.’’

If you find you need to plant a new tree, Evans has these tips:

Don’t plant the new tree in the same place or too deep: It’s best to plant a few feet from where the original tree once stood. And even though you think planting the tree deeper will make it withstand the next wind, it won’t. The widening curve at the bottom of the tree, called a flare, gives it a good base. Dig a hole twice as wide as the container or root bulb and as deep as its current container. “The tree has its own mechanics and its own ability to stabilize itself,” Evans said. “Whenever you see one sticking out of the ground like a telephone pole it is planted too deep.”

Is bigger better? Evans said trees with smaller trunks actually grow canopies faster than larger ones, so don’t feel like you have to buy the biggest tree you see. A tree 2- to 3-inches in diameter will show top growth in two to three years. One 4- to 5-inches could take four to five years. He recommends trees ranging from 8- to 15-feet or taller be planted by the nursery or a professional. “That’s heavy,” Evans said. “You need the right equipment and to get it from the nursery to your house.”

You can plant again right now or wait until fall: “Anytime the ground is not frozen is when you can plant a tree,” Evans said. The advantage to fall is that the ground is still warm but the air temperature is cooler. “We are not as concerned about watering the tree as often; we’re not worried about the heat hurting the tree.”

Don’t overwater: Evans said you can easily drown a new tree. After a hot windy day it may need a drink, but otherwise he recommends checking on the tree every other day or other third day to see if it needs water. An 18-inch screwdriver is the perfect tool to probe the soil to see if it’s too dry.

Fast isn’t good: People like fast-growing trees such as cottonwoods, locusts or silver maples, but they are made of weaker wood. “They are not as dense and not as sturdy,” Evans said. He recommends a catalpa; a Kentucky coffeetree; a ginkgo; a red, black or white oak; or a baldcypress. For ornamental trees, he likes magnolias, paperbark maples and Japanese lilacs.

What you see is what you get: Evans said the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has a comprehensive list of the best trees to plant in this area. The OPPD Arboretum at 108th and Blondo Streets or Arbor Lodge in Nebraska City provide lots of trees to study before making a decision.