Discover how winter pruning can help your trees during this dormant time of year.
You may believe that there is nothing you can do to maintain your trees during winter. In truth, winter is an excellent time for the pruning of your trees. During winter trees enter dormancy, and the leaves of your deciduous plants fall off which leaves the branches exposed. Now is the time when trees “rest” until warmer spring temperatures launch them into a new growing season. Winter pruning of your trees during their dormant period can benefit your trees and you in several ways.
It’s Easier to Evaluate The Tree Structure in Winter
After the leaves have fallen off, it is much easier to see the structure of your trees. Your arborist will also find it easier to identify dead branches or those that pose dangerous risks. Seeing every branch helps the professionals know where pruning might be needed.
Your Tree Will Look Better Next Spring
Any branches cut back during the winter can recover quickly in spring with new growth, providing you with beautiful trees early in the growing season. The shape of the tree will be improved to help the overall appearance of your landscape.
Winter Pruning Helps Prevent The Spread of Disease
Pruning dormant trees can help prevent the spread of serious diseases that are active and spread easily during spring and summer. For example, oak wilt, Dutch elm disease, cedar hawthorn rust, and fire blight spread quickly during the growing season.
During winter, the fungi, bacteria, and insects that cause or spread diseases are dead or dormant. This means that diseases are less likely to be spread by winter pruning.
More Efficient Tree Pruning in Winter
When your landscape company prunes your trees during winter, this often means that the machinery required travels over frozen ground. This means that your lawn experiences less impact or damage from that machinery or foot traffic, which means more efficient work and less impact on your landscape afterward.
Tree Pruning in Winter Means Less Stress for Trees
Because your tree is dormant, winter pruning will not stimulate new growth. By comparison, any pruning done just before dormancy can be killed by cold weather and damage or disfigure the tree. Research has shown that pruning before the buds open in spring leads to “optimum wound closure.” Trees can heal from pruning cuts before warmer weather brings out insects or other elements that influence your tree’s growth.
Dormant Pruning Prevents Winter Damage
Dead, damaged, or dying trees can be dangerous in winter, especially when significant amounts of snow or ice arrive. Dormant pruning makes these trees safer by removing dead or weak branches that may collapse under the weight of ice and snow. Pruning can also rejuvenate more vulnerable trees by removing dead or diseased wood.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.