Now is the ideal time to prepare for winter by tidying your yard and protecting your trees and shrubs in advance of the cooler weather. Tree care undertaken before the mercury starts to drop can protect trees from dry conditions and damage, as well as help prepare you for the next year’s season. Here we look at 5 tips to help you care for your trees and shrubs and prepare your garden for winter.

Light Tree Pruning

Tree pruning and thinning of branches before winter can help to reduce canopy weight and the stress on your tree for when temperatures drop and sunlight is reduced. Trees often can’t sustain the rapid growth they put forth in summer, so light tree trimming before winter can help to maintain tree health and vitality and prevent dropped branches. Pruning and thinning foliage in trees and shrubs helps to make best use of diminished sunlight in winter.

Mulching

Mulch has a multitude of benefits for trees and shrubs, and mulching in winter can produce some of the greatest advantages. Mulching protects trees and plants from drastic temperature changes, insulates roots, and provides vital nutrition to the soil. Mulch also helps your soil to retain moisture and controls weed growth around your trees. Your local arborist can deliver mulch to your door for easy use in your yard, or you can keep your own mulch after removing a tree.

Cable and Brace Weak Spots

Colder winter temperatures, less sunshine and reduced soil nutrition can be hard on trees, and these conditions place more pressure on weak branches. Cabling and bracing can help to support weak branches through difficult conditions, so call your local arborist for an inspection. A professional arborist can swiftly and accurately ascertain the stability of your branches, identify weak spots, and apply expert cabling and bracing where necessary.

Nourish the Soil

Winter is a time where nutrients in the soil can be more difficult for tree and plant roots to access, and the soil nutrient levels can be depleted. Nourish the soil in fall by applying mulch and fertilizer while the weather is not yet cold, in order to build up nutrient stores deep in the soil. Before the cold weather sets in, it’s also the ideal time to water deeply to prepare the soil and your trees for winter.

Remove Problem Trees

Dead or dying trees can often cause issues in winter, as storms and bad weather can knock them down causing damage to people or property. Be sure to have the trees in your yard and around your house inspected by a professional arborist to check for disease and pests, and have any dead or dying trees professionally removed. Undertake stump grinding to remove all traces of dead trees and prevent tree diseases being spread through your yard.

Winter can be a hard time on your trees and shrubs, but good preparation for the cooler months can help your yard stay beautiful and healthy until spring.

While tree removal should be avoided whenever possible, and trees should be saved and conserved through appropriate tree pruning or tree trimming, in some cases, tree removal is unavoidable. Dead or dying trees that are beyond saving, or trees that are growing in a way that threatens people or property usually need to be completely removed. Tree removal is usually much more difficult than it seems, and the steps and processes involved with tree removal should be properly understood before you decide to remove a tree. Above all, it is essential to consult with a professional tree services company when you are thinking about removing a tree, as trying to remove a tree on your own can result in damage to you or your neighbor’s property, or injury and even death for those who try to remove a tree without the proper training. Here we look at 6 things you need to know about tree removal before you decide to get rid of your tree.

Local Laws

In some cases, you need permission from the local council before you remove a tree, even if it is on your private property. Be sure to make your intentions known and receive the appropriate tree removal permits, which are necessary in some cities in California for particular types of trees, known as ‘heritage’ trees.

Danger to Property and People

Tree removal, particularly for large and overgrown trees, is a dangerous process that can pose significant risks to both property and people. Many people have been injured or even died as a result of trying to remove a tree without the proper tools or training. Tree removal should always be left to the care of professional arborists wherever possible.

Underground and Above Ground Hazards

Tree removal can sometime involve close proximity to power lines, which means extremely careful and delicate work is required for safe removal. Likewise, digging to remove tree stumps and tree roots poses the risk of damaging underground cables, sewer lines or gas lines, so a proper understanding of underground structures should be obtained before any digging begins.

Trees Hanging Over Neighbor’s Properties

When parts of a tree or tree branches hang over into neighboring properties, confusion can arise when one neighbor wishes to remove the tree. Local laws or bylaws may govern this situation, but even if not, it’s always best to communicate and ask your neighbor before removing a tree that hangs into their property.

Stump Grinding & Removal

Once your tree has been cut down and taken away, in most cases a stump will be left behind. Old stumps can create a hazard, be unsightly, and spread tree diseases, so wherever possible, have your tree care professional provide tree stump grinding and removal to eliminate all traces of your tree.

Importance Of Professional Help

Due to the complex process and significant risks and dangers involved in removing a tree from your yard, it is essential to work with a tree services professional for safe and effective tree removal. A tree care professional can not only prepare by evaluating risks and getting necessary permits, as well as successfully remove your tree and the stump, they can also help advise you how to correct the issue that led to the need for tree removal and recommend an appropriate tree replacement.

By keeping in mind these 6 points before you remove your tree, you can ensure that your tree removal is safer, more effective and more successful, benefiting both you and the surrounding environment.

Tag: Orinda Tree Removal

5 Tips for Preparing Your Trees and Shrubs for Winter

6 Things You Need To Know About Tree Removal