Felling a tree is a hazardous task even in the best of weather conditions. With snow on the ground, it reduces traction and makes it difficult to move. It's hard to get out of the way of a tree that falls in the snow up to your knees. In addition, once the tree is on the ground, it is now buried in the snow, which makes cutting it even more challenging. Cold winter weather also protects trees after pruning.
Any cut on a tree (just like a cut in the skin) is an opening for infection. Microbes and pests can use these wounds as an entrance to the tree, which can lead to the development of diseases. However, in winter, many pests are also dormant. Bacteria, fungi, and insects are less likely to infect a tree pruned in winter. Late winter is an excellent time to prune, contain or rejuvenate overgrown shrubs and trees.
Any branches cut during the winter will be able to recover quickly in spring with new growth. This will also minimize the amount of time you spend looking at a plant that looks like a bunch of sticks after rejuvenation pruning. It is said that to get the best wood for furniture, all trees must be cut between leaf fall and winter solstice (December 21). This is because when sap is down, the wood will dry much faster and with less degradation. The end of winter and early spring is not only a good time to cut logs for firewood, but also an ideal time for cutting down trees. These would be ranked in the dormant season.
The reason why this is a good time is that cutting during this season allows your trees to grow better and improve their health during the spring. This is especially important if you are not cutting down a tree completely, but leave about a third for it to grow back. Cutting a tree in late spring or fall risks additional stress on the trees, which can lead to further damage and disease, something you should avoid if you want to save your trees. We can quickly tell if a tree needs to be pruned or not and we can more easily identify dead or dangerous branches that need to be removed. Even if the branches are not bare, like in pine trees, frozen soil helps other plants in your garden stay in place.
In addition, dormant pruning gives trees time to heal from pruning cuts before warmer weather provokes destructive insects and pathogens. In fact, some important pruning work should only be done during the winter, such as pruning fruit trees to maximize fruit production. And of course, dead, damaged or sick branches and trees should always be removed when you first notice them, regardless of the time of year. Pruning during dormancy (called “idle pruning”) has several benefits, both for your trees and for you. In autumn, leaves fall from deciduous plants and trees rest in winter until warmer spring temperatures wake them up.
In the long term, proper pruning and pruning of trees can help promote the health, safety and beauty of your trees. This may not seem like much, but if you live on a large property that you have to maintain, going out to different areas to cut wood by truck can leave traces, gaps and marks on your property. So, while deciding to cut down a tree is never easy, removing it at the right time will help make the process easier. Dormant trees are leafless and lighter, making it much easier for a certified arborist to cut and handle branches. Deciduous trees close their tents during the winter to prevent winter losses, but the cells must remain moist even within the lumen. In conclusion, cutting down trees during winter has many advantages over other seasons.
It reduces risk of infection from microbes and pests due to cold weather conditions; it allows for quick recovery with new growth; it minimizes stress on trees; it helps identify dead or dangerous branches; it helps other plants stay in place; it gives trees time to heal from pruning cuts; it maximizes fruit production; it helps maintain properties without leaving traces; and it makes cutting easier due to leafless and lighter trees.
