What to do with fallen trees and branches on your property

Smaller trees that were uprooted or knocked down in port-tropical storm Dorian could still be saved, says a P.E.I. arborist.

Crews will begin roadside pickup, but smaller trees may be savable

CBC News · Posted: Sep 10, 2019 3:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 10, 2019

Larger trees won't be able to stand up and and take hold again, says arborist Kurt Laird. (Tom Steepe/CBC)

Some smaller trees that were uprooted or knocked down in port-tropical storm Dorian could still be saved, says a P.E.I. arborist.

Kurt Laird, owner of Laird Tree Care, says he has been working from "daylight to sunset" to clear damaged trees from properties around the Island.

He said the soggy ground and large amount of leaves still on the trees made them more susceptible to toppling.

"There's a lot more sail when the leaves are on so it's huge ... and the ground was wet and that made a big difference."

Laird said if a tree has snapped, it's difficult to save. But don't give up on smaller ones that have been uprooted.

As long as it's not a hazard, you can trim off all the branches and hope for the best.— Kurt Laird, Laird Tree Care

"If it's a small enough tree you can kind of pull it back and stake it and try to invigorate the roots on the side where they were broken, but if it's too big you're not going to get it back up and be able to hold it up."

A healthy tree can also withstand lots of trimming.

"As long as it's not a hazard, you can trim off all the branches and hope for the best," he said. "Trees will recover. That's kind of a natural defence mechanism for them, is when they lose a bunch of foliage is to push out a bunch of foliage."

Dorian takes out 80% of trees in Cavendish area of P.E.I. National Park, Parks Canada says

Your photos of Dorian's destruction across P.E.I.

Curbside pickup

Provincial crews will assist with curbside debris and tree branch pickup from homes and businesses over the next few weeks.

Twigs and branches should be bundled, tied and set out near the road, the province says. (Tom Steepe/CBC)

Yard and tree debris must be bundled and placed near the road following Island Waste Management Corporation cleanup guidelines, the province said.

Twigs and branches should be bundled, tied and set out near the road.
Make sure debris does not block traffic or pedestrian access.
Each item (or bundle) must be less than 50 pounds and be four feet or less in length.
Do not use plastic bags, feed bags, or cardboard boxes for cleanup material.

Yard and tree debris will not be collected with compost cart collection, but only through this special storm cleanup effort. Regular compost collection will be limited only to household organics during this period.

Charlottetown and Summerside also have collection plans in place. In a release, the city of Summerside said roadside collection would begin immediately.

Charlottetown roadside cleanup begins Wednesday and runs until Sept. 21. In a release, the city asks people to have debris curbside as soon as possible so they don't miss collection in their areas.

Twigs, branches and storm debris can also be taken free of charge to any IWMC Waste Watch drop-off centre until Sept. 21. Effective Sept. 11, all drop-off centres will be open extended hours, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until Sept. 21. Bulk loads do not need to be bagged or tied.