The best time to plant trees and shrubs is during a dormant period. Schedule your new plantings before buds appear in early spring or after leaves drop in late autumn. Under cool conditions plants have a chance to establish roots before rain and warmer temperatures encourage top growth. Find out the characteristics of the species, and choose a location with the size of the fully grown tree in mind. Consult an arborist beforehand for recommendations and post planting care.

Tree Crown Reduction is a form of pruning that is beneficial to having a healthy tree. Depending on where you live in the country, it may be called crown thinning. Most of the reasons we reduce the crowns of trees, is to help the tree stabilize and mature with healthy limbs. This is also great for the trees appearance and structure. Crown reduction is not complete tree removal.

Spring tree trimming

Each spring, every tree buds new limbs. These smaller limbs, if left un-pruned, can cause irregular growth and make the tree look asymmetrical.

Most of the crown reduction is performed on hardwoods. You should consult a tree service professional or a certified arborist to help you decide how to make your trees more healthy, vibrant and disease free. Remember, the whole purpose of crown reduction is to help your trees grow properly and be strong for many years to come and avoid having damaged trees later.

The benefit of trimming and removing pre-selected limbs is, it allows sunlight to penetrate the entire tree while allowing the breezes to move through the limbs without harm. Having good airflow may help reduce the exterior moisture content growing on the bark, which can lead to disease.

Some property owners do what we call as crown raising. Crown raising is the act of removing limbs from the lower half of the tree. It is the removal of low hanging limbs or limbs that grow downward on the lower limbs. Raising the crown of the tree is used to provide clearance so you may walk underneath without limbs hitting you in the face and or so automobiles can pass safely underneath without getting scratched by the low hanging limbs of the trees.

Should trees be pruned in winter?

Tree pruning provides a variety of benefits to your trees and landscape. In addition to improving their appearance, trimmed trees will be safer and healthier. Pruning promotes plant health by removing dead or dying branches that have previously been injured by disease, insects, mites, animals, storms or people.

Request a Complimentary Consultation from Inglewood Tree Service.

Winter is a great time to prune trees.

Tree Pruning can be done at any time of the year; however, recommended times vary depending on the species. In general, the best time to prune most plants is during late winter.

Better access

The frozen ground gives the arborist access to areas and with equipment that they would otherwise not be able to reach.

Better visibility

Without foliage to obstruct views, structural problems are more visible, making it easier to make pruning decisions. This also reduces damage to under story plants such as perennials and annuals.

Between growing seasons

Plants are dormant during winter. Which means fresh wounds will only be exposed for a very short length of time – just until the spring when new growth begins sealing new wounds.

Convenience

On the practical side, it is easy for a homeowner to be inundated with outdoor projects in the spring and summer. So, why not reserve tree trimming for the experts!

When storing firewood it’s important to choose the correct storage method to protect your hard work and investment. The last thing you want to do is throw it into a big pile and expect it to be ready for winter.

Lets face it, mother nature can be tough. Wood in particular is very susceptible to the elements like rain and snow.

Improperly stored wood could lead to wet, unseasoned wood that’s prone to decay. Plus, a big ole pile of wood looks pretty appealing to all sorts of animals and bugs who are looking for a place to hide……not exactly what you want.

Firewood that comes into contact with the ground is exposed to moisture and insects which increases the rate of decay. Over time this wood will become nearly useless. Moisture also increases the odds of mold growing on your firewood.

Properly stacked firewood will last a lot longer than a pile in the middle of your yard. Unless your stacking directly on concrete you should start off by laying a couple 2×4’s on the ground parallel to each other about 12-14 inches apart. 2×4’s work good because they get the wood off the ground and they are inexpensive. Wooden pallets also work good.

Next, lay the wood in a row on top of the 2×4’s. Stack the wood tight together to make it stable. The row can be any length but try to limit the height to around 4 feet. Anything taller could get unstable and fall over.

If you don’t have a tree or a post on each end of the pile you will have to taper the ends back gradually to prevent an avalanche of sliding wood. Using a metal t-post pounded in the ground on each end works well and they’re fairly cheap to buy.

Stacking the wood in a criss-cross pattern, like a log cabin, works well too. It tends to be more stable that just stacking it in a row, plus it gives better air flow to the wood allowing it to dry quickly. You can use this method to make end supports to replace the metal t-posts.

If your stacking more than one row of wood, keep the rows approximately 6-12 inches apart to allow the air to flow between the stacks. If your stacking under a lean-to or near another structure, stack the wood 6-12 inches away from the structures wall to allow the air to reach the backside of the stack.

If your stack is not under a shelter you can cover the top of the stack with a tarp. Only cover the top and don’t rap the entire stack with the tarp. Air needs to flow around the wood to dry it and moisture needs to be able to escape. Wrapping the whole stack without airflow could cause mold to build up and the wood won’t season properly.