A lot of homeowners and property managers think they can put their landscaping duties on the backburner during the winter, but the truth is if you want a great, healthy, and thriving landscape year-round maintenance is a must.
In fact, today we wanted to highlight one specific landscape chore that is best done in the winter—Tree Care!
Winter tree pruning is a great chore to get checked off your list during the holiday season. January and February are optimal months for scheduling tree care maintenance. Why?
Because there are no leaves, trees are dormant, and the soil is frozen. Certified Arborists can properly see the structure of the tree, the trees are less likely to experience shock from pruning, and nearby landscape will be protected from any heavy equipment lugged around the tree (thanks to the compactness of the frozen soil).
Things to Consider
Although trees are dormant throughout the winter, they are still exposed to all the elements. Harsh winds, snow, ice, freezing rain, whatever the elements may be your trees are feeling all of it.
These wintry conditions can actually be very stressful on trees, and newly planted or young trees don’t quite have the defense mechanisms to withstand these extreme conditions.
Regardless of the age of your tree, a winter care routine is a good idea. Here’s a look at some of the techniques we implement in winter tree care and tree pruning.
1. Look for Infestation
When we are pruning the trees, we will also be looking for signs of infestation or disease to preserve and protect your tree for long-term health.
2. Wrapping
Depending on your trees and the region you live in we may wrap with crepe tree wrap to protect your trees from bark cells that rupture and lead to cracks.
This is often caused by repeated nightly freezes and thawing out by the sun, a cycle that can do a lot of damage to your trees.
3. Irrigation Review
We’ll make sure your trees are properly watered to survive the winter and remove any irrigation bags surrounding the tree trunks.
4. Melting Methods
This is typically important on commercial properties where ice melt products are utilized to keep the property accessible.
However, choosing the wrong product could interfere with a tree’s roots ability to absorb water. We’ll make sure only the best products are used and won’t damage your trees.
We Can Help
Want to check out your trees before the pros arrive? Take a look around your property and make a list of any trees you see that have:
- Abnormal bumps
- Cracks
- Splits
- Moisture coming from the bark
- Clusters of sprouts from the base or trunk of a tree
These are all important factors our team of tree experts will want to investigate further.
Ready to schedule your FREE consultation or want to talk more with one of our certified Arborists? Get in touch with us here!
