Homeowners may be putting away their gardening tools for the season, but despite the cold, winter is a perfect time to prune deciduous trees. During the autumn, trees shed their leaves. Without foliage, the tree’s overall shape is more visible and any branches growing awkwardly (or in the wrong places) can be removed.
Benefits of Pruning
- Control Insects and Disease – Pruning helps a tree stay healthy. Cutting broken, damaged, or diseased branches reduces risk of pest infestation and disease transmission. While insects may not necessarily kill a tree, they can spread disease and weaken the plant.
- Encourage Growth – Trees require proper maintenance for growth and development. Pruning is a practice that helps improve health and bolsters a growing and developing tree. Structural pruning helps promote healthier tree formation.
- Protect Property and Passersby – Pruning diseased or broken branches keeps your property and family safe. Falling branches can cause serious injuries. As winter snow accumulates, the added load may cause weakened branches to fall.
Why Prune in the Winter?
There are many reasons why winter is an ideal time to prune:
- More Visible Tree Structure – After the fall season, the structure of the tree becomes more visible. Pruning allows you to easily examine and identify defective parts that need removal. Pruning is crucial for managing defects, keeping the tree healthy, and creating optimal visual impact.
- Favourable Weather Conditions – Winter puts plants in a dormant state and are less likely to suffer shock from pruning when they are inactive. Cold air also helps quickly dry any sap bleeding from freshly cut branches.
- Less Landscape Damage – When the ground is covered with snow, surrounding soil is less likely to be compacted by foot traffic and equipment used during pruning. Snow also provides protection for perennials and other plants near the tree.
Pruning can be a sensitive task. Without proper knowledge or tools, you may end up injuring vital parts of the tree, or yourself. Call Dave Lund Tree Service and Forestry Co Ltd at (905) 884-0511 to schedule professional pruning services this winter.