We have been very lucky in Hawaii since hurricanes seldom come our way, but it is important to be on alert every year. “June too soon, July stand by, August a must, remember September, October all over.” Officially, hurricane season has been extended to include November, but like tornadoes east of the Rocky Mountains, they may surprise us almost any month.
Risk certainly includes dealing with the weather, but farmers need to think about the many other risks taken in their business. To that end, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources agricultural Extension agent Andrea Kawabata has announced two risk management schools planned for June 7 at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel and June 9 at the Old Pahala Clubhouse. The schools, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in both locations, will focus on helping farmers learn how to manage legal, production, financial, labor and marketing risk aspects of their businesses. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. For more information and reservations, contact Kawabata at 322-4892 or Didi Diaz-Lyke at 887-6183.
While considering risk management, remember hurricanes are like unwanted company. They often come when they are least expected. One year we have none, the next we have several. Some have really given us trouble in recent years, so it is important to be prepared.
Inspect your trees for dead branches that seem ready to fall. Also, look for dead branches that are firm but brittle. A gust of hurricane-force wind can snap an arm-sized branch from a tree and send it at missile speed through a picture window. A low-hanging branch over a roof can wreak havoc. Powerful winds can turn limbs into tools of destruction.
Removing dead and out-of-place limbs is a good idea even if there is no storm. Fan-like fungus growing on the side of a tree trunk indicates rotten spots that need attention. A wound made by poor pruning, damage from earlier storms or the gouge of an auto bumper can start decay. The auto-made wound can easily be filled with a water-tight material, since it is not more than kneeling height. Other areas require climbing to dizzying heights on a trembling ladder. Often it is cheaper in the long run to call a professional to handle tree-top jobs.
Some older trees with Y-shaped crotches are prone to split apart. Check trees in this category. If necessary, place temporary props in the appropriate places, or make the tree one unit again with steel rods and turnbuckles.
Remove decayed trees that are too weak to hold up under the strain of a storm. This action will save you grief later.
Palm fronds are wicked to deal with if propelled by high winds. Clean away loose palm leaves at the first hint of a storm.
Even a 100 mph wind is not as dangerous as it sounds if necessary measures are taken before the wind reaches gale force. Of course, it is important to retreat indoors while the unwelcome storm is stripping your shrubs outside.
If your home is located in an area that might flood, you’ll be given ample notice to evacuate before the storm reaches your area. Otherwise, there is no safer place than a well-built home.
As soon as the storm passes, it is a good idea to inspect trees and other plants around the house. Usually all the plants will show signs of wind damage. With a little trimming, propping, resettling of root systems, fertilizing and watering, nearly all plants shaken loose from the ground can be salvaged.
Many of our tropical trees grow rampant with extensive root systems. That’s why we prune to keep them from getting out of hand. Be sure to prune the correct way, though. It might be wise to wait until hurricane season is pau before major root pruning since excessive root reduction could make the tree more vulnerable to blowing down.
The trouble with roots of many big trees — banyans, ficus species and eucalyptus — is they are too greedy. Their roots will fill a flower bed or a new lawn in just a few years after the trees are planted.
When this happens, you can be sure they aren’t doing smaller plants any good. Very likely, the tree roots are competing so fiercely for the soil’s available water and nutrients that grass, shrubs and flower roots suffer.
With lawns, this action often demonstrates itself right before your eyes. If big trees grow on one side of a large lawn, notice that whenever the lawn goes without water for any period of time, the grass nearest the trees is always the first to show a bluish cast and lifelessness that indicate wilt. Ultimately, the grass will fade out under the tree until none is left.
The countermeasure is to cut the tree roots that grow into the bed or lawn and make it impossible for new roots to grow back using root barriers. Rhizomes, like running bamboo, can also be kept in check by this method. Of course, it is better to choose one of the many clumping bamboos to avoid bamboo spread.
Remember, major pruning of branches and limbs should be done if it looks like one of those busy hurricane years. Avoid butchering the tree because severe overpruning of broad-leafed trees and palms can create serious disease issues or even the death of valuable specimens. Root pruning should be done after the storm season. If in doubt, contact one of our many local certified arborists to make sure the job is done correctly.
June through October is usually the crucial period, but hurricanes and Kona storms have been known to develop at almost any time of the year.
