Wind
Youmaynotbeabletoprotectyourhome
froma cyclone,butthefollowingtipswill
greatlyreducetheimpactsofstrongwindsto
helpsafeguardyourhouseandyourgarden.
Allwindshavea dryingimpact,soreducing
windsreducesevaporation.
Establishwindbreaks.Deflectingorreducing
windis morepracticalthantryingtostop
it completely:plantlowershrubsonthe
windwardsideandamongtallertreesto
deflectwindupandovera houseandgarden.
Walledwindbreaksneedtobeverystrong–
ofsteelorstone– tostopgaleforcewind,but
curvedorangledonesoflightermaterials
mayeffectivelydivertit arounda garden.
Avoidtalltreesandoverhangingbranches
nearthehouseorwheretheycoulddamage
importantinfrastructureshouldtheyfall.
Consult an arborist regularly to remove dead
wood, narrow/weak forks and to identify borer,
termite or fungal disease in mature trees. Open
up top-heavy canopies to make them less wind
prone. If possible, retain lower branches to
strengthen trunks and reduce top-heaviness.
Formative pruning and regular maintenance
arekeytocreatingstrongtreesthatresistwind.
Prune fruit trees into a solid main
framework with fruiting laterals kept as
short as possible, so weight is held close to
thestrongestbranches.
Choose slower-growing, deep-rooted tree
species with fl exible trunks, open canopies and
smaller leaves, or those with proven resistance
to strong winds (see box on page 46). Seedlings
in tubes often develop stronger root systems
than advanced ones. Ensure seedling tree tap
roots are not pot bound. Group plantings are
morewindresistantthana singlerow.
Prepare planting holes well, break up hard
or rocky subsurface layers, and water deeply
to encourage deep roots. If staking new trees,
do so loosely with a fi gure-8 tie that allows a
little movement at base of the trunk; overly-
tight staking reduces development of support
roots.Removestakesatearliestopportunity.
Remember, removing one of two or three
large established trees is likely to make the
remaining one(s) more vulnerable to wind,
due to a weakened network of root systems
and increased canopy exposure.