RECENTLY a fierce wind blew through much of northern New England leaving behind a swath of downed and damaged trees. In places the damage was so severe that it looked as if a tornado had come through. This is a good time to look at your trees to determine why some suffered and others did not, and what you can do to prevent future damage. And if you want to repair the damage yourself, you may as well get started.

My unofficial, unscientific analysis of the trees that blew right over is this: trees that are naturally shallow rooted - such as white pines and poplars– were most likely to blow over. The fact that pines have their leaves (needles) at this time of year also meant that they had more resistance to the wind. Trees in wet places went down more commonly than trees that had well drained soil. And even trees that normally have deep, extensive root systems were more likely to tip over if growing on ledge. One native cherry of mine blew over, and I saw why - it was growing on ledge.

Note the woodpecker holes in this tree which tends to mean that the tree is on its last legs. So what can you do about all that? If re-planting pines, accept that they may blow over. Don’t put them next to the house or barn (or within 100 feet). Pines commonly grow to 50-80 feet, and the national champion (in Marquette, MI) is 201 feet tall. If you can see bedrock where a tree tipped over, plant a small tree or shrub, not a full-sized tree. Wet places? Shrubs like winterberry (Ilex verticillata) or redtwigged dogwood (Cornus sericea) are perfect. They like wet feet, and won’t blow over.

Next, look at trees that were damaged. I saw healthy trees that were snapped off 30 feet above the ground. There’s nothing you can do about that. But other trees lost a section because they had never been pruned. Let me explain: trees that have a forked trunk are likely to split. The two parts grow together over time, enclosing bark and creating a week section. Along comes a storm like this recent one, and one or both sections go down. Your job is to remove one of the two trunks.

If the trees are large, this is a job for a professional arborist. But anything you planted in the recent 5- 10 years or so can probably be fixed with a hand saw – or even a pair of pruners.

I have a magnolia with a bad “crotch angle” that I did not correct at planting time. If I removed one of the trunks now, the tree would look horrible for a number of years. It is in a place where I admire it every day, so I have not corrected it. I ‘ve discussed this with an arborist, who advised me that magnolias commonly have trunks that divide down low, and that usually they don’t split. So I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Another problem occurs when a tree is allowed to have lopsided growth. Crabapples sometimes come from the nursery with one side more developed than another. If uncorrected, the trees can list to one side – and tip over in a storm. A lopsided tree can also be the result of branches that were removed because of damage. Try to ensure that there are roughly the same numbers of branches in all directions.

If you lose limbs to storm damage it’s better to repair the damage right away. Cut off limbs that are cracked or partially broken, too. Cut broken limbs back to the trunk or, for smaller things, to a major branch. For multi-stemmed shrubs like lilacs, cut the stems right to the ground.

It’s important to know where to make your cuts. Never leave a stub of a branch long enough to hang your coat on, but don’t remove the swollen part of the branch(where it is attached) that is known as the “branch collar”, either. The branch collar is usually wrinkled, providing you with a good clue for making the cut –cut where the smooth bark on the branch begins. The branch collar is the place where the tree heals itself, so it’s important to leave it in place.

To prevent ripping the bark of the trunk when you cut off a heavy branch, try this: make an undercut part way through the branch about a foot from the trunk. Then cut all the way through from the top, about 18 inches from the trunk. Your undercut will stop any tearing. After the limb has fallen, you can cut off the short stub without fear of tearing the bark. And contrary to what you may have learned as a scout, don’t paint tar on wounds - even torn, ragged wounds caused by branches being ripped off by winds. Trees heal themselves.

Some storm damage is inevitable. If you have planted weak-wooded trees like willows, poplars or boxelder (Acer negundo), you will lose branches in high winds. Don’t plant them where falling branches will land on your can (or worse yet, your neighbor’s car).

Woodpeckers are pretty good diagnosticians, too. If they are digging big holes in one of your trees, it may well be on its last legs. If it is growing in a place where its demise could cause damage to people or property, take this as your warning: the next big storm may knock it down. You should have someone remove it.

Henry Homeyer is a professional pruner and gardening consultant living in Cornish Flat, NH. His Web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com