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Winter pruning is an important part of the annual care and maintenance of trees. Winter is the best time to do tree pruning for several reasons. It’s easier on you and the tree to prune during the winter. It allows you to easily identify and remove dangerous limbs that could prove a risk to your family and property. Finally, and most importantly, pruning during the winter is best for the trees health.
Easiest Time to Do the Work
The first benefit of winter pruning is that winter is the easiest time of the year to do the pruning work. Without leaves, the limbs you intend to prune are easier to access and to see. Don’t underestimate the benefits a clear line of sight gives you when pruning a tree. In the dense foliage of spring, summer, and fall it can be easy to lose sight of the limb you’re intending to cut, and cut the wrong one. You can also more easily identify damaged or disease limbs in the winter.
Remove Dangerous Limbs
With the tree’s clear of leaves, it becomes much easier to identify limbs that can be a potential danger to your family and property. If you find hanging, broken, or diseased limbs remove them, as both are a risk to both the tree’s health and anyone who spends time beneath the tree. Sometimes a perfectly healthy limb may pose a risk as well, if it’s grown too far out snow and ice in the winter can put too much weight on it and snap it. An overly large limb may also act to imbalance a tree and put it at greater risk of falling during a heavy wind storm. You should also trim limbs that have grown out over your home, as they can prove to be a serious risk to your roof.
Improves Tree Health
The main reason that it’s best to prune during the winter is because it’s better for the trees health. With the tree dormant the damage to it is minimal. The tree’s energy is largely stored in its roots as opposed to during the active seasons where the energy is flowing throughout the entire tree. When warm weather returns in the spring the pruning will serve to invigorate the tree. This is because the energy that was supposed to go to all of the trees limbs is now being concentrated on the limbs that need it, rather then the ones you cut. The limbs you didn’t cut will experience abundant growth and will be fuller and stronger.
Want your Trees Pruned this Winter?
Call Rhine Landscaping. We’re an experienced landscaping company that’s served Maryland for years. We know the ins and outs of landscaping and tree pruning. We have the techniques and expertise at our disposal to make sure it’s done right and done affordably. If you’re interested in a having an effortlessly beautiful lawn, call us at (410)-442-2445 or fill out our online contact form today!