It’s important to perform proper tree maintenance all year, even during those cold Colorado winters. If your tree needs pruning, don’t put it off just because it’s winter. In fact, there are certain types of pruning work that should only be performed in winter.
Putting off tree maintenance like pruning could be bad for your tree. Be sure to contact a professional arborist when your tree needs maintenance.
Read on to learn the many benefits of winter tree pruning:
- Helps stop the spread of disease: Routine tree pruning is essential because it helps prevent the spread of disease in your tree. There are many things that can cause tree disease, including insects, fungi and bacteria. Since many disease agents lay dormant during winter, you won’t have to worry about spreading diseases throughout your tree while pruning. In fact, it’s better to prune trees with fire blight during winter, as this helps prevent the spread of certain diseases like Dutch elm disease and oak wilt.
- Improves the look of your tree: Pruning your trees in winter will make it easier for new branches to grow in spring. When spring comes around, you might have the most beautiful tree in the neighborhood.
- Increases safety: High winds and rains storms still occur in the winter. You want to avoid dead limbs scraping against the sides of your house or your windows. Removing those dead and dying branches in the winter will help prevent damage to your home and possible injuries. Additionally, removing weaker branches will help strengthen the rest of your tree.
- Allows the tree time to heal: Winter tree pruning allows trees time to heal before the warmer weather hits. When pruning in warmer weather, trees are subject to destructive insects and pathogens. Trees normally work right away to close wounds caused by pruning in the warmer months. When pruning in the winter months, trees get a chance to rest before starting the growing process.
- Makes the pruning process easier: When pruning in the summer or spring, you may have to worry about heavy equipment damaging your lawn. However, this is less of an issue during winter, since temperatures in Colorado often get cold enough to freeze the ground. Heavy equipment is usually only required when pruning taller trees.
Speak with a professional arborist
While it’s possible to prune some trees on your own, it’s always best to work with a professional. Professional arborists know how to properly remove branches without damaging your tree. Proper pruning will ensure the good health and longevity of your tree, and also helps save you a lot of time and energy.
Be sure to work with an arborist that has years of experience in tree care. It’s also important to only work with those certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
If you’re an area homeowner with trees in need of pruning this winter, contact Rocky Mountain Tree Service for all your needs. Our services include tree trimming, tree removal and stump grinding. We also offer 24-hour emergency service to both residential and commercial properties.