Tree Debris After Storms

In the wake of spring winds and storms, residents with trees on their properties are likely going to find woody debris of all sizes. In this article, we provide some practical guidance on using fallen branches and other debris to help care for Nashville’s urban forest. Instead of just dragging the woody material to the curb for pickup, consider these garden-friendly ways to use tree debris! 

Cleanup After a Storm

During the warmer months of the year, significant weather events are an inevitability in Nashville. Even mild rainstorms can knock off sticks and small branches from trees, while strong gusts may loosen medium to large branches. If a tree is weak or failing, whole limbs may break off, or full trees may be knocked over. Cleanup requirements will vary from storm to storm, but the now-available wood material may be useful in your yard! 

Depending on the number of trees and the extent of your yard, the woody material knocked free from a storm can be used to care for the trees themselves, enhance your garden space, or burn as firewood for bonfires or fireplaces. 

Prepare Ahead of Time

Since storms are a fact of life, being ready to make the best of the organic material they knock around will make cleanup a more purposeful and engaging activity. Plan your spring, summer, and fall projects considering how you might integrate any extra woody debris!

Follow this link to find out when brush and leaf collection will occur in Davidson County so you’re ready to remove any debris you don’t wish to repurpose.

Using Tree Debris in the Yard

There are multiple ways we can use sticks and branches that fall from the trees following a storm:

• Add tree debris to your compost heap

• Use debris for mulching gardens

• Incorporate woody material into landscaping projects

• Save fallen branches for firewood

Add Tree Debris to Your Compost Heap

Compost has two main ingredients: green material (nitrogen-rich plant tissue like leaves, stems, vegetables, and fruits) and brown material (carbon-rich matter like branches, bark, straw, paper, and sawdust). These are usually used in a 50/50 mix to balance each other out. The green material is broken down by bacteria into a liquidy pulp, while the carbon-rich organic matter takes much longer to break down, adding solid bulk to absorb and give form to the compost. 

Depending on your compost heap’s size and style (warm compost in a bin or cool compost in open air), you may or may not want to put your woody material through a woodchipper before adding it to your compost. The smaller the pieces, the faster and more evenly they will break down. Grinding tree debris down into chips helps create more uniform compost that can be easily spread in the various areas of your yard. 

Use Debris for Mulching Gardens

Twigs, sticks, and branches can be broken up and used as mulch under your trees, in your garden, or to natural pathways in your yard. While it will be important to wear shoes while walking over wood material, woody mulch helps block weeds from growing. Like compost, it’s best to put the debris through a chipper if you can, since it will lay more evenly and hold in more moisture with smaller pieces. If you’re putting mulch under a tree, be sure to apply it evenly around the base, not against the trunk, and only a couple of inches deep. Mulch volcanoes are bad for trees, potentially cutting off oxygen from roots or encouraging mold growth at the base of the tree.

Incorporate Woody Material Into Landscaping Projects

Large tree limbs can be useful to border walkways, divide garden sections, or contribute to the frame of a tree-branch gazebo. No matter how big or small a piece of wood, branches from trees can contribute to a wide range of landscaping projects and nature-based crafts that may only be limited by the number of branches you’re able to gather.

Save Fallen Branches for Firewood

While spring, summer, and fall are thunderstorm seasons, they’re also bonfire seasons! It’s not recommended to use sticks and branches in indoor fireplaces, but they’re just fine to be used in outdoor fires. Big branches and logs that fall during storms can be cut with a chainsaw or ax to an appropriate size and saved in the woodpile for fires both indoor and outdoor, year-round.

Metro's Stormwater Division is creating a program to repurpose wood yard waste. To be involved in this project, contact Chaz Griffith at charles.griffith@nashville.gov. 

Tree Debris Removal

While small to medium-sized pieces of tree debris can usually be easily gathered up by many residents, large jobs should be handled by a professional. When whole limbs or even whole trees fall, a certified arborist or professional landscaping company should be contacted to chop up and clear away large pieces of tree debris. In the event of property damage following a storm, get in touch with your insurance provider and take photos before having any debris removed. Communicate with your neighbors in the case of cross-property damage.

Davidson County will pick up brush, leaves, and other organic debris on a quarterly schedule, which you can find here.

Caring for Trees to Withstand Storms

Even the best cared-for trees may lose some branches in a windy storm, but to reduce hazardous loss due to dead branches or weak limbs, it’s good to have your trees inspected and trimmed every couple of years by a certified arborist. Trees are valuable assets to your property (both financially and in terms of ecosystem services), and qualified professionals will treat your trees with the best care practices that keep them in strong form. Healthy trees are best able to weather storms, and preventative maintenance is always the first step in reducing risk!

If you’re considering planting new trees in your yard, browse Nashville Tree Conservation Corps’ tree sale! Learn more about volunteering with us on our website, and stay updated with regular tree care tips by subscribing to our email newsletter.