When the weather goes a little rough, trees tend to suffer a lot. Especially during winter, when the surroundings get cold and freezing, trees lose their liveliness, which is why winter and spring are the best time for tree trimming. Taking care of the trees during winter can help you keep your trees alive and healthy. Let’s find out why winter is a good time for tree trimming!
Why trimming the trees?
Trimming tree is significant for multiple reasons.
Cleans the outlook of the trees
Trees need regular trimming for a clean and polished look. If you tend to avoid trimming for a long time, they may end up looking gigantic and out of shape. Think about your hair. If you don’t trim it every once in a while, they’ll lose their shape and start looking unhealthy. Trees are just like hair. They need trimming for a healthy look.
Increase the growth of flower and fruit production
During the winter, trees become dull, and they end up having damaged brunches and stums. These damaged parts absorb all the necessary nutrients needed to produce flowers and fruits, eventually slowing down the entire process. If you trim the trees from time to time, it will increase flower and fruit production growth.
Ensures good health of the trees
Some of you might ask, what’s wrong with an overgrown tree? Well, an overgrown tree becomes weaker with time. Trees need care and trimming for healthy growth. In order to ensure the good health of a tree, you will have to cut down the ill and damaged branches of the tree. Otherwise, the entire tree won’t be able to survive.
Keeps the environment safe
Trimming is a must in order to keep the environment safe. Whenever a storm hits, the weaker stems tend to fall and block the road. If you trim the trees on time, they will stand still even if the worst storm hits the road. Besides, the sharp dead stems can hurt the people around them, so it’s better to trim them for your safety.
What are the Benefits of trimming trees in winter
A lot of people think that trees can’t be trimmed during the winter or you won’t find an expert to do the job during winter. The truth is, winter is a great time for trimming the trees and removing the dead parts. As a matter of fact, some of the trees should be pruned in this season; otherwise, they won’t be able to grow properly. In winter, most of the trees lose their leaves, and this state lasts for quite a long time. To get to their previous state, they need trimming in winter.
Gives a proper shape
Once the trees lose their leaves, the overall shape of the tree becomes more evident. For an expert, it becomes quite easy to locate the damaged and diseased branches and stems. Trimming can give them the boost they need for the upcoming seasons.
Cleaner appearance
At the end of winter, every tree is left with dead branches, leaves lying on the ground in front of them. Trimming the dead branches and unwanted shrubs can add to the healthy growth of these trees. Also, you won’t have to take care in the future if you prune the trees properly in winter. Trimming in winter rejuvenates them.
Ensures a healthy growth
If you trim the trees in winter, you will be able to stop a lot of diseases from spreading in the following seasons. In the winter season, a lot of diseases tend to spread due to bacterial or fungal attacks or the attack of different insects. Pruning in winter can save the trees from these diseases.
Easier access of the heavy equipment
A lot of the areas tend to freeze during the winter, which makes it easy to transport the heavy-weighted equipment. This equipment tends to damage the landscapes, so if you want to avoid that, then winter is a perfect time.
Gives the trees enough time to heal
If you trim the trees during fall, the newly cut areas can easily get infected by bacteria and different insects. Instead, if you trim during the winter, trees get enough time to heal before the arrival of warm seasons, generally when the insects come out. The main agenda of trimming is to ensure the healthy growth of these trees. If you trim at the wrong time, you may end up damaging them.
Keeps the area safer during winter
During winter, trees end up having deceased and sharp branches, which can be hazardous for the people living around them. If you trim them in the winter, you can keep your surroundings safe from any accident.
These are some of the reasons why winter is a good time for tree trimming.
What Kind of Trees Are Better Suited to winter trimming?
There are some trees that should be trimmed during the winter. They are Apple, Abelia, Ash tree, Azalea, Butterfly bush, Burberry tree, Bluebird shrub, Blueberry, Chaste tree, Cherry, Crape myrtle, Dogwood, Flowering plum, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Juniper, Liden, Oaktree, Peach, Plum, Redbud, Sweet olive, Smoke tree, Tulip tree, and Wisteria.
Saws/equipment you are supposed to use in trimming
To do any job properly, you’ll need the appropriate tools. Trimming saw, and other trimming equipment is different from your regular tree care tools. The equipment you need for trimming are:
- Safety equipment (face shield, goggles, hand gloves, etc.)
- Trimming loppers
- Trimming shears
- Handsaw
- Pruning saw
- Backsaw
- Rip saw
- Chainsaw
- Woodchipper
These are some of the essentials that you’ll need to trim a tree.
Trees You Should Never trim in the winter.
Some plants should be pruned or trimmed during spring. The trees that tend to have flowers during spring should be pruned in spring. Trimming in winter can hamper their growth. These plants are:
- Alpine currant
- Burning bush
- Buffaloberry
- Honeysuckle
- Ninebark
- Pea shrub
- Purple leaf
- Sumac, etc.
Bottom line
Trimming is extremely beneficial for a tree’s growth, but you need to know the proper way and the exact timing of trimming. Doing it in the wrong way can hamper or even kill a plant. So, it would help if you were careful while trimming a healthy tree. When it comes to trimming trees in winter, it is one of the perfect times to take care of the trees and remove the unhealthy parts from them.