It will officially be winter in a week or so and the last thing on most of our minds is our outdoor landscapes. Patio furniture is stowed away, leaves are up and the shovels and snow blower are ready when the snow flies. It’s easy to push aside outdoor work until the warmer months, but pruning your trees or shrubs in the winter has many benefits over other seasons commonly associated with pruning.
In winter, deciduous trees cast off their coverings giving a much better view of their structure. It’s like having an x-ray for Arborists! We get a clearer picture of the entire tree, allowing us to identify weak branch connections; cracks in limbs; crossing limbs and unsafe dead wood. Winter is the ideal time for addressing structural flaws, that can eventually lead to branch or tree failures. The frozen ground also makes pruning and removing trees safer and simpler because a tree care professional can move the heavy equipment closer to the trees without harming lawns, shrubs, and perennials.
Winter is a busy pruning season for orchards because many of the flowering trees and shrubs, like apples, cherries, and magnolias, have already formed their buds for spring flowers by the end of fall (of the previous year). By selectively pruning these plants in winter, we can improve the saturation of flowers and fruit they have in the growing season. If you do your own pruning, make sure you pick the right season for each tree or shrub and use the proper cutting techniques. Pruning the wrong plant this time of year can lead to fewer blooms in the spring and making haphazard cuts will affect the healing process.
At ArborTech, our Certified Arborists are experienced in assessing the structure of trees and shrubs during the winter months. So, when the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quiets down, give ArborTech a call to schedule an appointment with one of our Certified Arborists. They can help you make a plan to prioritize the concerns that you might have about the trees on your landscape. Why wait till July?