You might think that winter isn’t a great time for pruning or stump and tree removal. The truth is, you’d be wrong. While warmer weather might be more comfortable for tree removal professionals, there are quite a few good reasons to schedule pruning or stump and tree removal this winter.
Cold Weather Tree Pruning
Visual Assessment – When the trees have lost all of their leaves, that’s the best time for pruning. It is easier for the tree pruning specialist to evaluate where the tree needs to be pruned. They will be able to quickly identify any dead or decay sections that would have otherwise been hidden behind the foliage.
Reduced Disease Transmission – Many common tree diseases such as oak wilt, Dutch elm disease, fire blight, and cedar hawthorn rust are less likely to spread during the winter months. Pruning wounds would normally be vulnerable to the insects and fungi-carrying bacteria that cause these diseases. However, these culprits are dormant in the winter, leaving the pruning wounds safe from the diseases the insects fungi spread.
Less Stressful – When tree pruning is done in the late summer or early fall, trees typically sprout new growth immediately. That new growth may not be strong enough to survive when the cold weather arrives. When trees are pruned in the winter, new growth remains dormant until spring. Then it will have months of warm weather to grow strong enough to survive the cold of the following winter. Also, many trees bleed sap when pruned in warm weather. In the winter there is little or no sap production.
Eliminate Hazards – When dead or decaying branches are identified, they can be removed before the first snowfall. The weight of the snow and strong winter wind can bring down dead branches without warning or guidance, resulting in potential injury or property damage.
Increased Flower and Fruit Production – If you have fruit trees, they should only be pruned in the winter. Tree pruning will help to maximize fruit production and strengthen branches that hold the fruit. In some ornamental species, it can also help increase production and can help increase flowering.
Winter Stump and Tree Removal
Improved Nutrient Distribution – Leaving dead trees or stumps in the ground can cause an imbalance in nutrient distribution. Winter stump and tree removal will help ensure that the remaining plants and trees receive the proper nutrition. Removing stumps and trees when the ground is more effective. The surrounding plants are subject to less damage.
Make Way for New Growth – Sometimes new growth can sprout up around dead trees and stumps. Removing them once that growth has started can damage or even destroy the new growth. Scheduling stump and tree removal during the winter can also help make your spring gardening and landscaping easier.
Preserve Your Landscape – Another advantage of winter stump and tree removal is it creates significantly less damage if heavy or large equipment needs to be used to complete the job. In the warm weather, such equipment could leave deep tire tracks in your landscaping. In the winter when the ground is frozen, heavy equipment will do little or no damage, leaving less work in the spring.
Professional Tree Services
Boulder Hill Tree Service can handle all types of tree pruning and removal. We started as a full-service, residential tree care, and removal company but have since grown and expanded into a diversified contractor. In addition to our pruning, and stump and tree removal services, we also offer land clearing, and damaged tree removal services.
We proudly serve a wide range of residential, commercial, and municipal/governmental customers as well as schools, universities, golf courses, and real estate developers. Contact us for a free estimate today!