Redwood trees, the giants of the forest, are the world’s tallest trees! They’re stunning and awe-inspiring as you journey up the coast. However, having one near your home, even if it’s not towering at 300 feet, can be quite daunting when winter winds hit 40-50 mph. Are these winds safe for the tree? Could it shed branches? Might it blow over? Are there measures we can take to enhance its safety? Let’s explore “Windsail Pruning” and determine if it’s the right choice for your tree.

What is Windsail Pruning?
Windsail pruning is based on the theory that if you selectively remove some branches from your redwood tree you are allowing the wind to blow through the tree rather than blowing against a thicket of branches and potentially pushing the tree over.

Does it work?
Yes, in the right circumstances, wind sail pruning can be beneficial.

Let me explain
It helps if you understand how trees grow. Trees don’t willy-nilly add branches to their canopies. Each species has evolved over time with characteristics that help it thrive. Each branch is strategically placed to enjoy the most sunshine for photosynthesis and provide food for the health of the overall tree. A healthy redwood tree should look thick and bushy like the redwood pictured here. Even if the tree were to lose a branch here and there due to gusting winds, there are backup branches to assume the role of the branches lost.

There are consequences to removing too many branches
Once you understand that every branch is important then you should be careful about how many you remove. One consequence of removing too many branches is that you may dramatically diminish the food supply for the redwood. To compensate for this loss the tree will desperately try to regain the foliage it lost, let’s face it, the tree is now starving. As a result, you may end up with a fuzzy-looking tree as it desperately forces out new foliage up and down the trunk and along its branches. This redwood was massively over-pruned and it is telling whoever pruned it they messed up!

But what about these redwoods? They look like they have been beautifully pruned
If you walk your neighborhood you will see redwoods similar to these where the branches are evenly spaced along the trunk and you can see through the canopy. A perfect advertisement for windsail pruning. Remember how I mentioned that trees strategically grow their branches to provide food? They also strategically grow their branches to protect one another in a wind event. The more branches that are clustered together the better they are at preventing branch failure. When branches are spaced farther apart it allows them to move more in the wind increasing the chance of individual branch failure. However, the spacing does allow for the wind to flow through the tree and helps prevent a whole tree failure if the tree has root issues.

Okay, okay now I am confused. Is windsail pruning good or bad?
It all depends. There are occasions when circumstances around a redwood tree change and modifying a redwood tree’s crown may be beneficial. If the tree has sustained significant root loss due to construction, then thinning the canopy to reduce the weight on weakened roots during a wind storm may be appropriate. However, if we have another drought the loss of food-producing foliage may compromise the root system and weaken it to the point of failure. It’s a matter of deciding whether the benefits outweigh the consequences of windsail pruning.

The best way to determine if windsail pruning is right for your tree is to ask a certified arborist. Our arborists are very knowledgeable, with years of experience, and will be able to assess the health of your redwood and determine whether windsail pruning is right for your tree. In most cases, if the tree has good trunk taper and a healthy-looking root flair, windsail pruning is not likely to be beneficial.