Winter feels like an off-season for yard work, but it's actually the best time of year to take care of your trees. Without leaves in the way, structural problems are obvious, the trees are dormant so pruning won't shock them, and insect and disease pressure is at its annual low. Here's the checklist we follow with our own customers each year.
Inspect every mature tree on the property. Walk the whole yard with a notepad. For each tree, look at the trunk (cracks, cavities, fungal conks), the major limbs (deadwood, broken branches, rubbing limbs), and the root plate (heaving soil, exposed roots, lean). Mark anything questionable for follow-up.
Schedule structural pruning. Late winter — roughly February through early March in our region — is the ideal pruning window for most species. The tree is fully dormant, so cuts heal cleanly, and the canopy structure is easy to see without leaves obscuring it. This is the time for crown thinning, deadwood removal, and corrective cuts.
Skip pruning on oaks until summer is well past. Oak wilt disease is spread by sap-feeding beetles that are active from April through July. Major oak pruning is safest in late fall through early spring.
Refresh mulch but pull it back from the trunk. Two to four inches of mulch over the root zone helps hold moisture and moderate soil temperature. Mulch piled against the trunk ('mulch volcanoes') causes rot and is one of the most common ways well-intentioned landscaping kills young trees.
Check young trees for staking and ties. If you staked a tree at planting more than two growing seasons ago, the stakes need to come off. Ties left on too long girdle the trunk and can strangle the tree.
Plan for spring storm prep. Use winter inspections to build your spring work list before storm season arrives. The earlier you book, the better the schedule and the lower the rates.
If your walk-through turned up anything you're not sure about, we'll come give you a free professional assessment. Call (443) 206-3980 anytime.
