01/04/2024
Hello everyone steven the tree squirrel here. As the old year has just come to a close, and with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season behind us, now is a good time to take inventory regarding the trees on and around your property. This time of year, presents a great opportunity to really study the structure of your larger growing shade trees. Typically, the winter time affords a much better look at the branch unions and general outline of the tree canopies in that foliar growth has subsided, and thinned out. Also, in the case of deciduous trees, leaves have dropped all together.
This presents us with a more unobstructed view, where such problems as crossing, and or rubbing limb structures, breaks or other structural defects can be more easily seen. In addition, this time of year makes for a great time, in fact the best time to do any needed corrective work in that the trees are entering dormancy. Problems associated with such common practices as heavy summer pruning, i.e. the greater potential for transmission of fungal pathogens is less of a concern.
The rate of wound closure made as a result of winter pruning i.e. compartmentalization occurs more quickly, as wounds begin to close in the following spring early on when the cambium becomes active again and so the potential infection courts do not remain open for an extended period. Another added benefit is dormancy represents a time when the tree’s metabolic demand is at its lowest and so, such procedures are less stressful and more easily handled.
If you have a tree or trees that you feel need to be looked at, always make it a priority to seek out a professional arborist, as there are many fly by night’s and hacks out there these days who’s knowledge of trees begins and ends with how to put a chainsaw in a piece of wood, and so seeking out a reputable arborist is the best way to avoid the problems associated with hiring such persons, which may not manifest until in some cases long after the work has been done . In the end, your trees will thank you, and you’ll be glad you did.
