Today we’re going to discuss dormant pruning, and how it can help your trees.
When we think of pruning, we tend to think of work that happens in the warmer months. But winter pruning – or dormant pruning – comes with all the benefits of pruning in the spring, along with some advantages of its own.
Why do trees need pruning? There are a few reasons:
- It improves the appearance of trees.
- It keeps trees healthy by removing sections affected by disease, damage or infestations.
- Protecting you, your family, your neighbors and your property by removing dead branches and hazardous tree limbs.
By practicing dormant pruning, you can:
1. Get a better idea of your tree’s health – When the leaves are gone from your tree, you’ll have an easier time spotting defects such as weak crotches and crossed branches.
2. Move equipment more easily – When the ground freezes in the winter, workers will have an easier time getting machinery close to the tree without damaging your yard. The tree service you hire will be able to get equipment closer to the tree, saving their time and your money.
3. Improve growth – When part of the canopy of the tree is trimmed away during the winter months, it can stimulate new growth in the branches left behind. Energy is spread among fewer growth points, so the tree can grow more than it would have without dormant pruning.
4. Avoid damage to flower beds – Do you plant flowers underneath the canopy of your tree? It can be tough to prune a tree without damaging those flowers. Even a small dropped branch can harm your flowers, and cleaning up without disturbing your beds can be difficult. But with dormant pruning, you can work on your trees at a time of year where flowers aren’t an issue.
5. Use your yard in the summer – Dormant pruning means not having to schedule backyard cookouts and other summer recreation activities around your tree trimming. Pruning a tree is noisy work, with chainsaws, wood chippers and leaf blowers working away for extended periods. By doing that work in the winter, you’re less likely to bother your neighbors.
Call the Tree Pruning Experts at Willow Tree Service
With winter around the corner, you may be thinking about pruning your trees. But proper tree pruning requires extensive training and skilled workers. To find the skill you need for healthy trees, contact Willow Tree and Landscape Services.
For more than 30 years, Willow Tree has offered ornamental tree pruning, large tree pruning, safety pruning and dead tree pruning to customers in the Philadelphia area. We provide free estimates, and no-cost property inspections by our ISA-certified arborists before we prune.
When you work with Willow Tree, you’re working with a company that will treat your property like it’s their own, no matter the season.