The year is winding down. You’ve largely finished using your garden as the sun is disappearing and the colder weather has crept in. Even though your garden may not feel like a priority at the moment, there are many good reasons why you should be thinking about tree pruning this winter.
1. Ease of Access
Winter is an ideal time to prune deciduous trees because they are bare. This makes it far easier to clearly see what you’re doing. It is also easier to evaluate the overall structure of the tree; there are no leaves or foliage to obstruct your view. This helps you easily analyse and reach the parts that need to be pruned. It also reduces the volume of waste that needs to be removed.
2. Improved Appearance
Trees produce sap when they are trimmed or pruned but in winter, sap is less active. This means that there is less ‘bleeding’ from the tree which is unsightly and also a waste of precious energy.
Winter pruning stimulates spring growth and as there is less overall growth to support, more energy can be put into bud production. This results in a bushier tree and subsequently quick hiding of old pruning cuts. Removing dead or crossing branches is essential for the overall health and appearance of the tree. This also reduces congestion which aesthetically looks much better and aids air circulation.
3. Healthier Trees
Diseases and insects which damage trees thrive in the warm summer months and also during wet autumns. Pruning trees in winter therefore means that there is less likelihood of these insects getting into the pruning cuts. Additionally, it limits the chance that diseases such as dutch elm disease, oak wilt and fire blight can spread between plants.
Trimming or cutting trees in winter also gives the plants more time to heal before they begin to regrow in Spring.
4. Safety Check
Sometimes disease or weakness can be hard to spot and if you have broken or weak branches that aren't attended to, these can break off during high winds or storms; this is potentially dangerous or damaging to people and property. Regular pruning and checking over of your tree health means you can catch issues early on before they become dangerous.
How Can We Help?
Pruning trees is a relatively difficult and time-consuming job and tall trees can be awkward and dangerous to reach properly without the correct equipment. It can be confusing to know which parts to cut and there are lots of things that can go wrong when doing a DIY job - particularly in winter when conditions are icy!
George-Stone Gardens offers a full tree pruning and rejuvenation service by our team of fully insured, professional gardeners. Why not contact us today to discuss your trees and obtain a no-obligation free quotation for the work?
