How to look after your trees in Winter.
The image of a forest of endless winter trees standing tall and dignified is one of profound tranquility and peace.
Winter is a beautifully quiet time for trees. They snooze gently away while waiting patiently for spring to burst on Earth again. Winter is a good time for a bit of housekeeping, because this is when you can see clearly a tree in all its naked glory. If there are problems with a tree's structure, it is much easier to spot.
Trees are the titans of the earth, which means any sort of trimming is not something you would want to take on yourself. At Accomplished Tree Management, we step in with consultancy services to help clients understand what sort of grooming their trees need. Winter is a good time to think about getting a healthy headstart on preparing your trees to look fabulous for spring!
TRIM FOR SPRING
Is it Alive?
Deadwooding is the process of snipping off dead bits of a tree. Not unlike trimming split ends at the hairdresser's. To an innocent eye a winter tree can look dead, so it is difficult to know which bits are just dormant and which parts need to be taken off. This is where we are happy to share our knowledge. We recommend tree owners to perform deadwooding for safety reasons. Bits of deadwood can fall off easily and hurt passers-by when the spring rains and summer storms descend. When we perform tree hazard management in winter, the maintenance trees require may not be huge, so it is a wise step to take to avoid costly damages in the future when trees spiral into whole tree failure because they were not given the necessary help earlier.
Clean up the Limbs
This is especially the case for young trees. In their eagerness to grow, they may have limbs that have been growing over-enthusiastically at awkward or dangerous angles. If these are not dealt with while the trees are young, the structural defects become more serious over time and can be complicated to correct in the future. Asking a professional to perform some structural pruning in winter can ensure your young trees grow with a proper, healthy structure for many years to come. Help your trees attain a healthy posture while young so they grow up looking good and staying safe.
Even Diseases Need to Sleep
While it is possible to prune in spring, winter has a special advantage. Trees are not the only ones sleeping in winter. Even nasty little diseases need a snooze. They spring to life during the growing seasons, which makes pruning complicated as diseases spread so easily then. During winter, be it bacteria, parasites or insects, they are dead or dormant, so pruning in winter makes transmission less likely. One thing less to worry about.
BEAUTY TREATMENT FOR TREES AND GARDENS
Trees need protection during winter. They are completely exposed to the elements and while we can snuggle into our Ugg boots in front of a cosy fireplace, trees outside undergo intense stress depending on how severe each winter is. If you have young trees, take extra care as they are not mature or strong enough yet to cope with severe conditions. There are simple steps you can take, like a beauty ritual, so your trees get through winter with as little fuss as possible.
A Bit of Mulch Goes a Long Way
Mulch is basically any material put over the surface of the soil as a covering. Organic mulch can be made of chipped bark, compost, shredded leaves etc. It is a good idea to put a thin layer of organic mulch (1-2 inches) just beneath the tree's drip line (the area outlined by the circumference of the tree's canopy, which is where water drips from and onto the ground). This will help to insulate the soil and roots against extreme changes in temperature.
Moisturising Spray for Plants
Believe it or not, some plants really appreciate having a bit of moisturiser on their leaves. Winter is a very dry period and some broadleaf evergreens suffer from winter winds and sun. Spraying an anti-desiccant covers the leaves with a waxy finish and this can help reduce any loss of moisture. The ones with the most natural ingredients are the safest for your plants. This covering gets washed away over the months so by spring your plants are plump and fresh without any glossy finishing left on them.
At Accomplished Tree Management, we know we are inextricably connected to nature and caring for nature is caring for us. We want nature to thrive around us, season after season.
Talk to us, and see what we can do for you this winter season to keep your trees healthy and safe.
About Accomplished Tree Management: Tel 0411 443 535
Accomplished Tree Management is a tree services company and arborist based in Port Macquarie and services the Mid North Coast. With over 16 years experience, we employ safe work methods and are certified with Australian AS 4373-2007-Pruning of Amenity Trees standards. We're fully insured with $20 million Public Liability and $5 million Professional Indemnity Insurance.
We provide the following tree management services -
Tree management - tree removals, palm tree services, council permits
Tree and garden maintenance - hedging, pruning, deadwooding, stump grinding
Tree consultation - arboricultural reports, hazard assessment
"Winter Housekeeping for Trees" is written by Vermilion Pinstripes, a modern digital marketing firm based in Port Macquarie, Sydney and Melbourne Australia and Singapore helping businesses engage better with customers so they can sell without selling.
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