To keep your landscape healthy, safe and festive throughout the holiday season and beyond, you must seek professional assistance. Arborists will implement the right pruning techniques to ensure your trees thrive. Work with a knowledgeable team that can spot disease, prune accordingly, and develop a care plan moving forward. Here is a guide that arborists will follow when caring for your trees along with some sage advice for you.
The Importance of Timing
Arborists know that it’s important to prune trees at the right time of year. Certain species, like evergreens, benefit from pruning in late winter or early spring. You’ll need to plan for a festive display the following winter. Arborists will remove dead branches and those branches that have disease on them. And they will not remove too many evergreen branches at one time. Over-pruning can lead to very unhealthy-looking foliage. It can take a long time for an evergreen tree to fill back in if you over trim it. Other trees do very well with pruning in the middle of winter. It’s best to consult a professional for guidance.
Professionals know the proper method to use to prune trees. It’s always a good idea to receive guidance and support from a knowledgeable team. The proper tools will prevent tearing of bark or the spread of disease. Disinfection of tools between trees will prevent cross-contamination.
Cuts should occur at a 45-degree angle. This promotes healing and keeps water from pooling on the surface of the cut. Moisture can lead to rot and the growth of fungus. Tree care experts will not remove more than 25% of a tree canopy in one season. This can reduce the cold tolerance of many trees, which is very important in cold climates.
Wrapping Young Trees
If you have new evergreen trees or other similar varieties, consider wrapping them the first few winters. This gives the root structure time to grow strong before exposing your trees to the elements. Burlap is the perfect material for this. It protects branches from frost and sun while promoting airflow. Arborists will make sure the wrapping is done correctly.
Avoid Watering During Winter
The winter months are generally moist, so there isn’t much need to water your trees. If you feel there is a need to water, avoid it if there are freezing temperatures in the forecast. Allowing excessive moisture to freeze around the root ball will cause damage. Also, keep de-icing products away from the ground near your trees.
Check for Insects
Cold weather doesn’t eliminate the risk of pest infestations. Continually monitor your trees for signs of bugs, like yellowing needles and leaves, webbing and bark damage. Take action to address pest issues as soon as possible by calling an arborist to mitigate the problem. Avoid attempting this on your own. One wrong move can harm the affected tree and nearby ones.
Keep your trees luscious, beautiful and healthy throughout the holidays and beyond. Contact the team at Maguire Tree Care, Inc., in the San Francisco Bay Area for tree trimming assistance.
