Successful holiday season? Check. Ringing in the New Year? Check. Now it’s just about time for things to calm down after a busy few weeks.
Take this time to put a checkmark next to winter tree care. There are three steps you can take now to help your trees remain strong throughout the winter season and prepare for proper spring growth.
Prune
Although your trees are in the inactive, or, dormant stage of growth, now is the best time to prune.
Dormant pruning leaves less impact on your landscape, allows for a more precise prune with bare tree branches and sets the tree up for spring, a good time for pruning wounds to heal.
Proper pruning will also help prevent snow and ice damage to trees and remove dead, diseased or unsafe branches.
Inspect
Take a moment to inspect your trees from the bottom up, especially looking out for snow and ice damage. New damage may have occurred and old damage may have worsened from the wear and tear of Mother Nature. Look out for small holes in the trunk, decay such as cankers or cracks and dead twigs and branches.
Trees should also be inspected for insects or diseases that may have festered. A sign of infestation could mean a call for spring treatment, so contact your local arborist for a tree checkup.
Remove
Limbs and branches that are weak due to weather damage or disease can become a critical risk, posing a threat to the safety of you and your property.
An inspection from your local arborist should be performed to determine whether tree removal is necessary. In some cases, trees can be strengthened with pruning and fertilization to boost health and cabling and bracing to maintain strength.
Request a consultation with your local arborist today.
