For most homeowners, the last thing on their minds in the winter is their landscaping. After all, the cold and snow often means you’re seeking warmth indoors rather than spending time outside enjoying nature. You’re far more likely to be worried about the condition of the roads or finding the snow shovel to clear off your walkway and sidewalk once the snows start to fall. However, even when you’re spending less time in your yard, the trees and large shrubs still need care and attention during the winter months. Here are a few reasons to trust Denver landscaping companies to prune and trim your trees in the winter rather than waiting for the warmth of spring.

Easier to Access

Large trees require heavy equipment and machinery in order to be safely trimmed, pruned, or even removed if the tree is damaged. During the warmer months, the ground around the tree is soft and compresses easily under heavy weight. This can lead to damage to your lawn while also extending the time the Denver tree service needs to spend working on each tree. When the temperatures drop in the winter, the ground temperature drops as well, making areas that are almost inaccessible to heavy equipment easy to get to. Remember, frozen ground can support more weight without compressing the root systems of the rest of your landscaping. This means the tree service will be in and out more quickly, saving you both time and money on your home’s landscaping maintenance.

Faster Recovery

During the growing season, trees devote most of their energy towards producing leaves and flowers. When a limb breaks or is trimmed during this time, the tree has fewer resources to devote to healing the damaged area. This means those simple cuts can take far longer to heal, leaving the tree open to damage from disease, insects, and even the elements. Since trees are dormant in the winter and not actively producing new growth, their energy can be directed towards healing the trimmed area. Ultimately, these cuts heal more quickly, exposing the tree to fewer diseases and helping reduce the risk of insect infestations that could manifest when the weather warms up.

Damage is Visible

Lush leaves are great for shading your property, but they can make assessing the condition of the tree difficult. The more of the tree that’s covered by vegetation, the more difficult it is for the tree service to assess insect damage or look for signs of disease. When the tree drops its leaves in the winter, it makes spotting damage far easier. An arborist will have an unobstructed view of the entire canopy and can more accurately inspect the entire tree for problems. The sooner damage is caught, the better off the tree will be and the more proactive the landscaping service can be in developing a treatment plan during the growing season.

Reduces the Risk of Property Damage

Heavy snows may be unpredictable, but when they come, they often do significant damage to trees. When these trees are located close to a house, weak or damaged limbs can snap, falling onto your roof or scraping along your siding. While it may not do damage, many homeowners face extensive roof repairs when limbs break under heavy snow. By trimming in the winter, an arborist can better assess which branches are potentially problematic and which ones can safely weather a severe storm. This will help reduce the risk of property damage and ensures that your home and family stay safe and dry despite the rough weather outside.

Sets Landscaping Up for Success in Spring

During the growing season, trees actively try to support growth and healing on all of their branches. Even areas with damaged limbs receive nutrients to help stimulate healing and growth, diverting resources from the healthy parts of the tree. By trimming these damaged areas off in the winter, your landscaping team sets the tree up for a successful and vibrant growing season. All the tree’s resources can go to living branches rather than struggling to support damaged or dying areas. Furthermore, when limbs are trimmed during the growing season, the tree’s growth potential in those areas me be limited. After all, if a limb is already blooming when its pruned, the area may not recover enough to produce a second round of blooms before the season passes.

Precision Cuts Are Easier to Make

Even the best arborists can make mistakes when the tree is covered in foliage. This means some trimming may be done too close to the healthy part of the tree. During the winter, it’s easier for the crews to see what they’re doing, where the cut needs to be made, and precisely where to place the sheers or saw. The more precise they can be, the less risk there is that the limb will be damaged and the faster the area can heal after the trimming.

Stimulates New Growth

When left unchecked, a tree’s growth can get a bit out of control. During the spring and summer, the limbs stretch and produce new offshoots that can shade existing landscaping or get dangerously close to your home and powerlines. Without the foliage, you’ll be able to see the actual shape of the tree and decide how the branches need to grow once the seasons change. With careful trimming, a landscaping team will be able to shape the tree, encouraging the limbs to grow where you want them rather than where nature would otherwise dictate.  

No amount of springtime fertilization and maintenance can make up for preventative pruning during the dormant season. Winter tree maintenance is key to setting your home’s landscaping up for success in the spring. While you may be able to prune and trim shrubs and low-lying branches on your own, it’s best to leave the major trimming to the professionals. Let the team at Arbor Garden keep your trees growing well year after year. Our experienced staff will assess each tree before making a single cut so you can rest assured that your landscaping will look great come spring. Don’t wait. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.