Sometimes trees grow with co-dominant stems and are in danger of splitting apart. In some of these situations, it can be beneficial to install a cable between the two stems to help prevent them from splitting apart. It is important to note, however that the time to do this is before there is a failure of one of the stems (before it splits apart). Although a cable can be installed after the stems split apart, by that time it is too late to keep the tree in good health as it will not heal from being split and will eventually cause more problems. Cabling is not a fix-all as the growth form of some trees is such that no amount of cabling will keep the tree together. Cables should be inspected and replaced periodically.