Bracing
/BRAY-sing/🌲 Arboriculture●● Intermediate
Also known as: tree bracing, rod bracing
Bracing involves drilling through tree parts and installing threaded steel rods with nuts and washers to provide rigid support at weak junctions. It is typically used in conjunction with cabling to reinforce split crotches, co-dominant stems with included bark, or weakened branch unions. Unlike cabling, bracing provides direct support at the point of weakness.
Etymology
From Old French brace (the two arms) + -ing (action suffix)
Example
“Steel bracing rods were installed through the split crotch to prevent further separation.”