Cabling

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Cables and braces that support weak unions in mature trees.

What it is

Cabling uses steel or synthetic cables installed in the upper crown to limit movement and share load across a weak branch union, such as a co-dominant stem with included bark. Bracing uses rods through a split or crack.

When it makes sense

When a valuable tree has a structural weakness and the tree is otherwise healthy enough to justify support.

How we do it

• Assess the defect and the tree's health to see if support is appropriate at all.
• Place cable anchors high enough to be effective. Industry practice and the ANSI A300 support systems standard put them about two-thirds of the distance from the weak union to the branch ends.
• Use hardware sized for the stem and install it to the standard's specifications.
• Re-inspect on a regular schedule, since hardware and tree growth change over time.

Standards we follow

• ANSI A300 Supplemental Support Systems standard
• ISA Best Management Practices: Tree Support Systems
• ANSI Z133 Safety Requirements for Arboricultural Operations

Good to know

Support systems reduce the chance of failure but do not remove it. They are often paired with pruning and a risk assessment.

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