Winter Is The Ideal Season For Tree Care

As temperatures drop and trees shed their foliage, most people believe tree care is done until the ground thaws, and buds appear in the spring.

Actually,  that isn’t true.

The safest time to trim and prune your trees is in their dormant period, which is November through March. It's kind of a hibernation period, when tree growth is halted, and they are resting.

Proper pruning involves making the right cuts in the right places to improve your trees' shape, health, and safety. In addition, doing tree work in winter provides several benefits.

• The tree's structure is clearly visible when trees are void of leaves. Therefore, you can quickly identify dead or dangerous branches that need attention while maintaining the integrity of the tree's form.
• Trees heal better from the wounds caused by pruning in winter because their energy for growth is stored, and they can focus on healing. Also, injuries caused by pruning in winter are less stressful on trees than in spring and suffer minimum sap loss.
• The pests and diseases that trees are susceptible to, are also dormant in winter. The bacteria, fungi, and parasites that are a threat in warmer weather are less likely to be transmitted when tree work is done during colder temperatures.
• When you prune, a tree's natural reaction is to stimulate new growth and to close the wound made by the cut. However, new growth is not stimulated in winter, and trees heal faster.

Damaged, dead, or dying trees are dangerous in winter with heavy wind, ice, and snow. Winter pruning removes any hazards that can compromise your property and loved ones' safety. Rather than performing winter pruning yourself, hiring a professional to tackle your tree work ensures it will be done correctly and not damage your tree or yard. A tree specialist knows:

• the correct timing and conditions for trimming different species of trees and shrubs
• only to cut 30% of the tree's limbs and not over-trim, which is often a mistake of non-professionals
• how to use equipment that does the job efficiently and safely