By winter, most trees have lost their leaves and gone dormant. When this happens, some homeowners sort of forget about them and don’t give them any more thought until spring. However, you could be wasting a great opportunity to have tree services in Waterloo performed. Because the trees have gone dormant during this time of year, it is easier for them to recover from some of the treatments they receive. Performing tree services early in the season also helps them stay healthier in the face of harsh winter weather and hungry animal attacks. Here are four services that you should consider having performed for your trees this winter.
Tree Wrapping
Some trees are more vulnerable during the winter than others, either because they are young or because they have thin bark. Tree wrapping can help protect vulnerable trees from hazards involving fluctuating temperatures or hungry animals. For example, sun-scald occurs when tree cells prematurely break dormancy due to a rise in temperature from high-intensity sunlight, only for a sudden drop in temperature to kill them. Animals such as deer may also strip bark from a tree for food. Depending on how much bark is removed, this could kill the tree outright or leave it vulnerable to disease and further injury. Tree wrap helps prevent animal depredations and maintain a consistent temperature.
Tree Mulching
What tree wrapping does for the trunk of the tree as far as temperature control, mulching does for the roots of the tree, helping to insulate them from the cold. Mulch also provides nutrients that the tree needs during winter when resources are scarce. There is a brief window of opportunity in which mulching may be of benefit; it should be carried out at the beginning of winter before the ground freezes.
Tree Removal
If you have a tree on your property that is dead, it is a good idea to remove it sooner rather than later in the winter. Otherwise, the strong winds and heavy snows of winter storms may be more than it can withstand and it may fall. A dead tree that comes down during a winter storm can damage property and could potentially cause injury. Better to have it professionally removed in a controlled fashion than leave it up to chance. The same holds true for a tree that, while not quite dead yet, is unhealthy enough to pose a threat.
Tree Pruning
Sometimes there are portions of a tree that are dead, broken, or diseased. These branches and limbs pose a safety hazard to your family and your property but are not enough to render the entire tree a total loss. Pruning the unhealthy or dangerous portions of a tree helps to prevent accidents that could cause injuries. It helps to improve the overall health of the tree by removing diseased portions before the infection has a chance to spread. It also helps the tree to better withstand hazardous winter weather conditions by removing weak branches that may break under the burden of snow or overgrown branches that may put stress on the tree by catching the wind.
Tree Inspection
Maybe you do not know what services your trees need for the winter or are unsure whether your trees require pruning or need to be removed altogether. A professional tree inspection can help. We can perform a careful assessment of the trees on your property and recommend which services they should have.
Choose Martin’s for Tree Services in Waterloo
In a little over a decade, Martin’s Tree Service has become well-known and respected for its state-of-the-art tree service in the Waterloo Region. Find out more about why you can trust our expertise in providing comprehensive tree services, not just in winter but throughout the year.
Steve Martin
