Arborists are busy all year round, and it may surprise you that things really don’t slow down in the winter. Here are some of the most common tree services arborists tackle in the winter.
1. Pruning
When should you schedule tree services like pruning? While issues are most noticeable to us when the leaves are on the trees (and missing from the limbs that need pruning), late winter is the best time to trim deciduous trees. For a quick tree terminology reminder, deciduous trees are any that lose their leaves each winter. The reason that winter is the best time for pruning comes down to a tree’s life cycle. In the winter, trees enter a dormant phase where they commit most of their energy to storing nutrients. In the spring and summer, those resources are directed to growing leaves and expanding the root systems. Pruning is necessary for the health of a tree, but it does cause trauma. Pruning involves removing dead wood and limbs from a tree, but the cuts are made into healthy wood. Since the winter is a slow time of development for your tree, it can commit its energy to healing the pruning cut.
Since winter is generally drier and, obviously, colder than spring or summer, the environment for a cut to heal is also safer for the tree. Without high levels of moisture and warmer temperatures, the trees in winter are less likely to fall prey to fungal infections or insect pests. Another reason to opt for pruning in the winter is to keep your lawn and landscaping safe. While arborists endeavor to keep limbs from falling when they prune, colder, hardened ground means your lawn won’t be damaged if a limb does fall. Likewise, heavy equipment like bucket trucks and wood chippers won’t be at risk of digging ruts in your lawn if the ground is firm and dry.
As for evergreens, the pruning should take place in the early spring. But it’s a good idea to make sure you’re thinking of that this winter if most of your trees are evergreen since appointments fill up. So when you ask, “What do arborists do in the winter?” a lot of the time, the answer is pruning, but that’s not all we do to keep busy during the coldest season.
2. Tree Inspections and Inventories
Another important component of every arborist’s job is tree inspecting and inventorying. While not everybody needs an inventory of their trees, many homeowners and commercial property owners rely on this critical service for enhancing the look of their landscaping. If you have a landscape with a lot of trees, you may be looking for ways to enhance how it looks this spring. Arborists wear many hats, and inventorying gives them the opportunity to flex a lot of their professional muscles. Inventorying includes the identification of unique tree species on your property, mapping their layout, planning removals and new plantings, and developing overall aesthetic improvements to enhance your property’s look.
Do trees grow in the winter? Do you really need to worry about them when it’s cold? Trees don’t grow in winter, or at least not usually. Some root development can occur if the ground is warm enough, but that’s really it, even here in Nashville. So, while the trees are resting, arborists are inspecting your trees for damage and figuring out how your property’s canopy can be enhanced. From planning a more biodiverse landscape to attract pollinators to planting native trees in place of invasive species, arborists perform inventories and inspections to improve the overall look and health of your landscape.
3. Emergency Services
Winter storms are no joke, even here in the south, where winters are mild. In fact, sometimes that mild weather keeps things just warm enough for freezing rain, one of the most destructive forces of nature for a tree besides heavy winds. A thick layer of ice on your trees can increase the weight of their limbs by 30 times, meaning a tree’s structure is placed under immense pressure in a matter of hours. When that happens, limbs and trees themselves are much more likely to fall, potentially causing damage and making a huge mess of your property. Arborist tree services in the wake of winter storms are critical not just for home and business owners but also for utility companies and municipalities that need quick cleanup. Many arborists support electricity providers when they need to prune trees around power lines, and they also consult and can be contracted for help safely cleaning up after a storm. We can do the same for your home or business.
We are fully insured, making the work we do safe for your property. By having an arborist help clean up after a winter storm, you are also ensuring your safety. Removing damaged limbs or trees is a dangerous job, even without ice and snow in the way. Let the experts who have the experience and proper equipment handle your winter storm cleanup! Arborists and tree surgeons are uniquely qualified and can help ensure that the storm damage doesn’t lead to issues later in the year for you. Sometimes, storms can weaken or crack a tree in a way that isn’t obvious, but during a tree inventory or storm cleanup, an arborist may notice and alert the homeowner to prevent future damage. Winter emergencies are stressful for anyone, and trees need to be taken very seriously. The damage trees can sustain and cause due to ice, high winds, and snow is something we’d all like to avoid, but when you can’t, it’s best to contact the experts.
Keep Up With Your Trees in the Winter
If a late winter storm causes damage, or if you’d like to schedule a preemptive pruning and inspection, you should not leave the work for later. Give us a call at The Parke Company today for a consultation and estimate for whatever your tree needs are this winter.