With winter approaching, pruning your trees might not be high on your list of priorities. Many tree owners trim their trees in spring or summer. But you can enjoy many useful benefits if you prune your trees in winter.
If your trees are in need of a trim, keep reading to learn why now is a good time to hire a tree pruning service.
1. To Prepare Your Property for Winter Storms
If you live in Denver, CO, the blizzards that can sometimes strike from fall to spring will be familiar to you. Strong winds and heavy snowfall can put pressure on trees, especially in regard to dead or dying branches. Falling branches can endanger you and your property during a severe blizzard or storm.
A professional tree pruning service can remove weak branches in fall and winter in preparation for severe weather.
2. To Help Your Tree Heal From Winter Storm Damage
If your tree has already suffered winter storm damage because of snow, ice, and strong winds, winter pruning is advisable. Violent wounds that occur during severe weather are often messy, with branches snapping or tearing off. These types of wounds are very difficult for a tree to heal or seal; trees heal wounds by sealing them with callus tissue. This isn’t always possible with messy breaks.
When spring comes, and insect pests emerge once more, open wounds will be an open invitation to them. Fortunately, a professional tree trimmer can help your tree to heal because they remove the broken branch with a clean cut. This leaves a branch collar so your tree can heal the wound quickly once spring arrives.
3. To Protect Against Pest Infestation
During fall, spring, and summer, pests attack trees that are injured. Pests like carpenter ants and woodborers prey on trees that have wounds to heal, weakening those trees in the process. But since many pests die off during the colder winter months, winter is a safe time to prune your trees.
While trees are dormant in winter, once the warmer spring weather arrives, pruning wounds will heal. By the time the worst of the pests arrive in large numbers, your tree will have healed its pruning wounds.
4. To Prevent Damage to Your Landscaping
Just as trees do, most plants go into dormancy to survive the winter weather. This makes winter a great time for pruning. In the summer, your plants are in full bloom and vulnerable to damage from passing workers and machines. But in the winter, your plants will suffer less damage during tree pruning, especially if the ground around your tree is frozen.
5. To Get a Better Look at Your Tree’s Structure
Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn, and this exposes all of their branches. Because of this, you can get a better look at them structurally. Without the obstruction of leaves, your tree specialist will be able to spot weak points and potential problem areas. This will allow them to prune your tree to achieve a better overall shape and healthier structure.
6. To Save Time and Avoid Interruptions to Summer Activities
One of the biggest problems of pruning in spring and summer is that yards are usually much busier at those times of year. This means that tree pruning will likely take longer, and could even be more expensive. During winter, when your yard is empty, pruning is safer and faster since your tree-care specialists will be able to move around unobstructed.
Winter pruning offers numerous advantages. If you think your trees can benefit from a professional pruning this winter, call Shulhoff Tree & Lawn Care, Inc., today.