Winter Tree Care

Winter is the perfect time to care for your clients?EUR??,,????'??? trees. Preparing their landscape for the snow to come is especially prudent in light of the devastation caused by early-arriving storms that have occurred across the country. During the winter, deciduous trees are bare. With their entire branch structure visible, it becomes much easier for landscape contractors and maintenance professionals to identify weak branch connections, cracks in limbs, inferior crossing limbs and dead wood.

Pruning to remove these branches in winter can avoid serious future damage while improving the trees?EUR??,,????'??? health and strength. The cold climate also means there are far fewer insects or disease pathogens around to affect the newly trimmed areas.

Steps To Successful Winterizing
Oftentimes, a tree?EUR??,,????'???s survival may depend on the care you give it before the storm strikes. Branches that hang in close proximity to the house, roof, driveway or nearby power lines should be cleaned up. Dead and decaying branches, particularly those at the top or ends of a tree?EUR??,,????'???s canopy, are also potential hazards.

Soil that?EUR??,,????'???s newly raised or lifted around the trunk can be a sign of an unsound root system ?EUR??,,????'??? one that may give way in severe weather.

Another sign of shifting is if canopies of trees are overlapping each other, which wouldn?EUR??,,????'???t happen naturally.

Oozing sap, stains or sawdust-like residue could mean disease or insects.

Cracks, hollow or rotted areas should also be addressed; mushroom conks growing on or near the base of the tree are another warning sign.

Cleaning Up After the Storm: After a severe storm passes, trees should be evaluated for overall health from the bottom up. Although the ground may be clear, limbs damaged by ice or snow can still split and break high in the treetops. Inspecting the canopies of storm-damaged trees is crucial to prevent branches from snapping and crashing down in the future.

Broken branches often leave behind stubs that are magnets for decay. Since trees do not regenerate wood, when a breakage occurs, the damage is permanent.

Restoration pruning, which involves pruning trees that have been damaged by storms, can also play a critical role in the long-term health and visual appeal of the landscape. Trees damaged by winter storms often respond to breakages by producing many new sprouts. This new growth isn?EUR??,,????'???t structurally viable and must be carefully and selectively thinned to form the tree?EUR??,,????'???s main architecture.

Use frozen ground to your advantage: A frozen ground surface affords contractors the opportunity to use specialized heavy equipment such as a bucket truck and chipper that might otherwise cause damage to the lawn. This equipment makes the trees more accessible and cleanup easier.

Work with a Certified Arborist: Aside from preventing more long-term damage, an arborist with the proper knowledge and equipment can help you make sure the job is done correctly. When selecting an arborist, look for one who is certified by a professional organization such as the ISA or one licensed by your state. Request to see proof of insurance ?EUR??,,????'??? hiring someone uninsured could leave you liable for his or her mistakes.