When you have trees on your property, you will need to maintain your trees and have them trimmed every few years to ensure your tree’s health and the safety of the yard and for the home. Trees can have branches that suddenly collapse or fall on the home or in the yard. Trees also are much more healthy when you remove the dead or diseased branches. When your trees need to be pruned, the best time of the year to trim trees is during the winter season. Tree Craft would like to share some of the benefits of pruning trees during the winter.
Evaluate a Tree
During the fall and in the winter, the tree has dropped their leaves which makes seeing the entire tree’s structure much easier. The arborist can better see each branch and better see any dead or damaged branches that should be removed. Damaged tree branches often look weak or they leak sap. Once identified, the dead or damaged branch can be removed, which reduces the stress on the rest of the tree. The tree can also be shaped easier when there are no leaves on the tree.
Trees are Dormant in Winter
Many trees will go dormant during the winter. When a tree is dormant you can remove the branches without causing a lot of stress to the tree. It is recommended to never over prune a tree while it is active. An active tree will be stressed if pruned while it is awake, which can kill the tree. In the winter you can prune more of the tree without worry of killing it. If you have a tree that needs a lot of pruning, it is safest to prune the tree in the winter while it is dormant. Evergreen trees can be pruned any time during the year. However, you only can prune around 20% of the total tree, anything beyond will stress out and kill the tree.
Winter Pruning Encourages Growth
When pruning in the winter, your trees will look green and healthier come the spring season. When pruned in the winter, your trees will put all of their energy into the existing branches during the spring. By removing some of the branches there are less branches for the tree to put energy into. This will allow the tree to put more energy into its remaining branches which allows the tee to grow bigger and healthier. For bigger and healthier trees, you will want to prune the tree’s branches in the winter.
Prevent Spread of Tree Diseases
Most tree diseases will spread during the spring and summer season. Most bacteria, fungi, parasite and insects that affect the tree go dormant in the winter. If you have had pests or other elements affecting your tree, you can remove the infected branches and reduce the spread of disease and infection. To promote healthier trees and stop the spread of disease, you will want to prune infected trees during the winter.
Tree Pruning, Trimming & More in West Norriton Township, Tredyffrin Township, East Norriton, Radnor, Wayne, Saint Davids, Lower Merion Township, Norristown, Upper Merion Township, Phoenixville & Greater King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
The winter season will soon end. If you haven’t had your trees pruned yet, now is the best time. For quality tree trimming and pruning services, contact Tree Craft today.
