Tree Trimming: The Complete Guide to Pruning in the Winter

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More than 80,000 tree care establishments in the US cover everything from trimming backyard trees to winter tree pruning. Yet, many people stop all gardening activities when temperatures drop.

But did you know that winter is the best time for tree pruning?

Even though the weather is cold outside, winter gives you time to perform structural pruning on young trees and trim away low-hanging limbs to promote healthy growth.

Keep reading to discover how to find a trustworthy tree service in Dallas and why winter is the ideal time to tend to your trees.

Why Is Tree Trimming Important?

When you have your own home, it’s easy to overlook the tree-trimming process when you have lovely trees growing on your property. But, for the trees to remain beautiful, you must look after them correctly.

Thankfully, winter is great to focus on tree removal and preparing for tree pruning. So, what are the benefits of winter pruning? And is it worth it?

Reduce the Risk of Diseases

One of the main benefits of winter pruning is that it reduces the risk of diseases. The last thing you want is your amazing tree to be infected with a sickness like oak wilt.

Winter is good for trimming as bacteria, fungi, and airborne pathogens are less active. When you prune the trees, you encourage more air circulation and exposure to the sun.

If you prune trees correctly, this can boost their health and ensure it remains healthy for the rest of the year. This is particularly important for young trees as they need extra protection.

You can carry out pruning on these young trees so they can produce sturdy, strong branches in the following seasons.

The Tree Structure Is More Visible

Winter is also the best time to examine the structure of a tree, as there are no leaves on the branches. So, if you notice any cross, overreaching, or low-hanging limbs, you can correct this during this season.

If you work with a professional arborist, they can also identify dead branches and remove them when necessary.

Not only will winter pruning benefit the health of your trees, but it also provides a better aesthetic to your garden. Think of tree pruning like going to the hairdresser.

You don’t want to have an out-of-control, messy garden. So, tree pruning will ensure that your garden looks tidy and neat for spring and summer.

Prevents Damage to the Rest of Your Garden

Often, homeowners are reluctant to hire a tree service in Dallas when the weather is nice and warm, as the garden work can damage the blooming flowers and plants.

But, if you don’t care for your trees, this can lead to safety issues for people walking around your property. For instance, if you have several dead or overgrown branches, they could fall off and injure a walker.

That’s why it’s important to address these safety concerns in winter when there will be less damage to your garden. This means that a trained arborist can come to your home and reach high branches.

Sometimes, a professional will bring a bucket truck that will leave a print in your soil, but it will be gone by spring. You can enjoy the rest of the year without worrying about safety concerns and branches suddenly falling.

It’s important to note that you should avoid pruning spring-flowering shrubs in winter, as this could prevent them from blooming in the future.

Winter Pruning Tips

When you decide to prune your trees in winter, it’s good to know a few tips to help you get started. For example, waiting until winter before you start pruning is better.

Ideally, you should carry out tree pruning when the weather is dry and mild. Otherwise, if you prune during rainy days, it could spread waterborne plant diseases and put your trees at risk.

Although, freezing temperatures can also damage the structure and health of your trees. So, monitor the weather forecast carefully and pick a day when the temperature is mild, and there’s no rain.

The first task is to remove dead, broken, or diseased branches. This is the same for all kinds of trees, such as evergreens and deciduous varieties. You can also remove branches that rub against each other.

It can be confusing learning about tree pruning, especially if you’ve never done it before, so if you feel overwhelmed, you should hire a professional tree service.

Advantages of Hiring a Tree Service

Handling trees is not as easy as it looks; you need to cut in the right places, use the correct tools, and identify dead branches on different tree structures.

But most of us don’t know where to begin when pruning trees.

So, working with a professional will ensure your tree is in the best health and decrease safety risks. In winter, the weather conditions can be dangerous, with ice and frost building up on the ground.

Luckily, a professional tree service has years of experience pruning trees in all weather conditions. They will have the equipment to safely trim your trees and boost the health of your garden.

You can also use tree services for other jobs like stump grinding and cable installation. Instead of worrying about how to take care of your trees in winter, leave it to the professionals.

Your trees will be transformed and look fantastic!

Hire a Tree Service in Dallas This Winter

Depending on the size of your trees, you might have large, tall branches that require professional equipment to trim. But, even if you only have a few shrubs and evergreens, it’s still important to prune them correctly.

Hiring a tree service in Dallas will allow you to reduce the risk of diseases on your trees without damaging your garden. There’s no better time of the year than when the branches are clear, and there’s more free time.

Get in contact with our team to book your winter pruning this year.

You can find all our services and information on our website here.

Mulch: Add Another Layer to Protect Your Trees’ Roots

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If you’re a Dallas homeowner, we always recommend planting native trees in your yard. Species that are native to North Texas have evolved to survive our climate, from extreme summer heat to below-freezing days and nights in the winter.

That said, most Dallas homeowners will need to take preventative measures to keep their trees in good health. Whether you have non-native species or your native species are struggling as the climate changes, mulch can make a big difference.

Why use mulch for trees and not just your garden beds? As your local tree experts, we’re here to tell you.

Read on to learn all about the benefits of adding layers of mulch to the earth below your trees.

Protecting Tree Roots from Temperature Fluctuations

Properly applied mulch can play a huge role in the temperature regulation of your yard. It acts as a barrier between extreme temperatures above and the root systems below, diffusing heat that could otherwise scorch or dry out your tree’s roots and protecting tree roots from winter frost. This temperature control can keep your tree happy and growing, rather than transitioning into temperature-fueled survival mode.

Maintaining Consistent Moisture Levels

Temperature fluctuations can also have a big impact on the moisture that is available for your tree’s roots. Mulch can help to retain moisture in dry spells and high heat and prevent moisture from freezing in the cold. Mulch can also help to absorb heavy rainfall so that the roots don’t drown or rot due to overwatering.

Improving Your Soil Health and Biome

Nutrient-rich soil can better support your tree’s root systems, especially when that tree is young and needs more resources to sustain its steady growth. Organic mulches such as wood chips, straw, and bark will decompose over time, and studies have found that these organic mulches reintroduce nutrients into soil that has become depleted over time. Mulch can also act as a natural pest control, preventing weed growth, while also improving the soil biome.

Making Your Yard More Attractive

Mulch can give your yard a more uniform and aesthetically pleasing look, which is always a plus. It can also create a barrier around your trees when you mow or string-trim your yard, which can prevent the trunk from sustaining unsightly damage that can harm your trees. While you may enjoy the look of inorganic mulch such as rocks or rubber pellets, we encourage you to use organic mulch that will provide substantial benefits in addition to a uniform appearance.

Reusing Sustainable Resources

Chances are, you have your trees cut back every year to encourage healthy growth and protect your property, and you may even have trees cut down. Did you know that you can use the wood from trimmed or removed trees to create your own organic wood chip mulch? This can provide a cheap and sustainable source for your mulching needs.

Proper Mulching Habits

We’re not just here to tell you why mulch is great for your trees. We’re also here to provide a few tips and tricks that will help you to get the most out of the many uses for mulch. Let’s take a quick look at some proper mulching habits.

Mulch in the Spring

While adding a fresh layer of mulch to your tree and garden beds is a good idea all year round, it’s best to mulch in the spring. In the spring, the ground is beginning to warm up, which stimulates growth and helps your trees to revive after a long winter. By mulching in the spring, you allow that warmth to settle in and then protect your soil temperatures from the high heat that’s just around the corner.

Don’t Make Mulch from Diseased or Infested Trees

As we mentioned earlier, you can use your own tree refuse to make organic mulch. However, you don’t want to mulch any branches or trunks that were removed (or fell) due to disease or infestation. Using diseased or infested mulch can cause your healthy trees to become diseased or infested, themselves.

Don’t Layer Mulch Too High

When you’re laying mulch down around your trees, you want to create an even layer that isn’t too thick. When mulch is piled high, it can create the ideal burrowing space for rodents and other pests that you probably don’t want in your yard. Plus, it can slow the natural decomposition of the mulch, which means a slower release of nutrients, and it can smother the oxygen in your soil, which is a crucial part of healthy root growth.

Replenish Mulch as It Decomposes

We don’t think of mulching as a one-and-done process. Instead, you should expect to replenish mulch as it decomposes, which can take several years depending on the type and density of your mulch. Most of the time, we recommend adding a fresh layer of mulch to your tree and garden beds each year, allowing last year’s mulch to continue to break down into the soil.

Don’t Overlook the Importance of Mulch for Trees

If you’re looking for a way to protect your trees and encourage healthy roots all year round, it’s time to consider organic mulch. As you can see, there are tons of benefits of mulch for trees, from increased temperature and moisture control to enhanced soil nutrients and biomes.

Keeping your trees healthy isn’t always an easy thing to do, which is why we recommend working with a tree service in Dallas. From storm damage to overgrowth to disease, a lot can threaten the health of your trees and the safety of your property. Contact GreenPine Tree Service for all of your tree removal and tree trimming in Dallas.

Storm Damage Prevention: Trim Your Trees This Winter to Remove Limbs

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From devastating winter storms to hurricanes passing through in the summer, Dallas is no stranger to extreme storms. With this in mind, tree trimming is something that needs to take place every year. Regular tree trimming is an essential part of storm damage prevention.

In fact, if you don’t trim your trees often, they could become a serious hazard during a storm. GreenPine Tree Service offers expert tree trimming in Dallas and the surrounding area. We can help keep your trees healthy and safe. Here’s why you should count this as part of your winter storm preparation steps.

What Is Tree Trimming?

Tree trimming is the process of removing dead, diseased, or damaged limbs to improve the health and appearance of a tree. Tree trimming also helps reduce the risk of winter storm damage by reducing wind resistance and making it easier for the tree to bend in high winds.

Why Is Tree Trimming in Dallas Important?

When it comes to preventing winter storm damage, regular tree trimming is an effective form of protection. It reduces wind resistance, which helps the trees bend rather than snap during a storm. Dead or weak limbs are very vulnerable in high winds, so removing them can help protect your home from extensive damage.

Regular tree trimming can also help keep your trees healthy by increasing airflow and improving light penetration through the canopy. This will help keep your trees healthy and better able to withstand extreme weather conditions.

When Should You Trim Your Trees?

The best time for tree trimming is during late winter through early spring when the trees are dormant. During this period, the risk of disease or stress to the tree is minimal, making it an ideal time for trimming.

If you’re in a storm-prone area, such as Dallas, you may want to consider trimming earlier in the winter season December or January just to be safe.

How To Care For Your Trees

Knowing how to care for your trees is essential if you want them to stay healthy and safe. Here are a few tips:

Use The Right Tools

Using the wrong tools, such as a chainsaw or pruning saw, can damage trees and increase the risk of disease. For smaller branches, a hand-held pruner is often sufficient.

Don’t Over-trim

When you’re trimming tree limbs, it’s important not to remove more than 25% of the tree’s living branches. This could cause irreversible damage, such as dieback and the tree becoming less stable.

Clean Up Debris

After trimming dead and hazardous limbs, it’s important to clean up any debris from the ground or remaining in the tree canopy. This will help reduce pest problems and keep your trees healthy.

Benefits Of Winter Tree Trimming In Dallas

Regular tree trimming in the winter offers a number of benefits. When you remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches, it reduces the risk of them falling during a storm and causing damage to your home. Pruning your trees often will keep them looking neat and tidy while also helping to maintain their natural shape.

Removing dead and diseased branches helps keep diseases from spreading to the rest of the tree. Protecting your trees from a disease will ensure they stay healthy and strong.

Winter Storm Damage Prevention

Before winter is the perfect time to give your trees a little TLC. By trimming dead and hazardous limbs, you can help keep your trees healthy and prevent damage from ice and snowstorms.

Trimming also helps to improve the tree’s shape and appearance. And, of course, it’s always a good idea to remove any limbs that could fall on your home or power lines.

Mulch

While mulch is most often associated with protecting plant roots and preventing weeds, it can also play an important role in regulating soil temperature and moisture levels.

By adding an extra layer of mulch under your trees, you can help to insulate the roots from extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. This can be very beneficial in areas with large temperature swings, like those found in many parts of the country.

In addition to protecting roots from temperature extremes, mulch can also help to maintain a healthy soil moisture level. This is because mulch helps to slow evaporation, meaning that the soil will retain more moisture for longer periods of time. As a result, mulch can improve both the health of the soil and the growth of tree roots.

Structural Trimming

Winter may be cold and dreary, but it’s the perfect time to prune your trees! That’s because corrections to a tree’s structure and form are best done while the tree is dormant.

By trimming out crossing, overreaching, and low-hanging limbs, you’ll promote healthy growth. If there are any co-dominant limbs, they should be reduced or removed at this time.

Tree Removal

If a tree appears to be beyond saving, then it is necessary to remove it. Tree removal can be a dangerous and complex process, so it’s best left to the professionals.

Professional arborists are trained in how to remove trees in a safe and efficient way, as well as how to dispose of them once they’ve been cut down. Tree removal is sometimes pricey, but by removing dead and hazardous trees before a storm, you may save yourself thousands of dollars in damage

Tree Trimming Process

The tree trimming process often involves removing any dead, diseased, or hazardous limbs. It’s also important to remove any crossing or overreaching branches that may be rubbing against each other.

When pruning your trees, it’s important to remember the “three-cut method”. This means making three cuts in order to remove a branch.

The first cut is made on the underside of the limb, about one-third of the way through. The second cut should be made from the top and meet the bottom cut just outside the branch collar.

The third cut should be made at a downward angle in order to remove any remaining stubs. This will help ensure that your trees heal up in the best way.

Once you’re done trimming, it’s a good idea to apply a layer of mulch around the base of your tree. Mulching helps regulate soil temperature and moisture levels, promoting healthy growth and protecting your tree from disease.

Hire GreenPine Tree Service This Winter

It’s important to remember that tree trimming isn’t just about aesthetics it’s also a vital part of storm damage prevention. Regular tree trimming helps reduce wind resistance, keeping your trees from bending or breaking in high winds. It also reduces pest problems and keeps your trees healthy overall.

If you’re looking for professional tree trimming services in Dallas, contact GreenPine Tree Service. We’ll make sure your trees are trimmed in a safe and efficient way so you can enjoy them for years to come.

Winter Tree Care: 4 Essential Tips

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The 2021 winter storm in Texas left many residents in the dark for days at a time. In February of this year, another harsh cold snap hit and caused 50,000 people to experience power outages.

If another cold storm hits this winter, it’s important to be prepared. This includes knowing about tree care tips.

Keep reading to learn more about winter tree care and how an arborist service can help.

1. Pruning Time

During the winter, trees go into dormancy which is an ideal time for pruning. Pruning trees while they are young can help them establish a good structure and prevent future damage.

To prune young trees, you’ll need to follow these steps:

  • Remove dying, dead, diseased, and damaged branches
  • Select the lowest permanent branch (LPB) based on the tree
  • Select and establish scaffold branches
  • Select temporary branches below the LPB for removal

If you’ve never pruned your trees before and don’t have the tools, a professional arborist can take care of it for you. It’s much easier to hire an expert when you need to prune mature trees as well.

2. Protect Trees From Freeze

Any trees that are vulnerable to cold weather should be protected when winter hits. Focus on winter tree care before temperatures drop to freezing.

Young trees and certain tree species, like tropical trees, cannot survive freezing temperatures.

To protect your trees from a freeze, you can follow these tips:

  • Bring potted plants and trees to protected areas
  • Cover susceptible trees and plants
  • Keep soil moist to absorb more solar radiation

You can cover trees with anything from tarps to burlap. Make sure the material you choose extends to the ground so the tree can benefit from the accumulated warmth from the earth.

3. Utilize Mulch

Cover the soil around trees with three to five inches of mulch to help trees retain moisture and warmth. Create a circle around the tree for the best results.

Trees do better when you use organic matter like wood chips. Keep in mind that mulch should not be the shape of a volcano. This can cause too much moisture around the tree which can lead to decay.

4. Continue to Water

Another great preventative winter tree care tip is to continue to water your trees during the winter when there is no rain.

For young trees, you should be watering every week or two. Use about 10-15 gallons of water each time. It’s important to water these newer plants during the winter to help them recover from transplant stress.

Mature trees only need water about once a month or every other month. You’ll want to use 10-15 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter.

When you water trees, water them slowly to ensure moisture has time to soak into the ground.

Winter Tree Care Tips to Follow

Homeowners that neglect their trees in the winter won’t have a pleasant-looking yard in the spring and summertime.

Whether you have young trees or mature trees, follow these winter tree care tips to keep your trunks healthy and thriving.

If you don’t want to risk damaging trees further, or if you don’t have the proper tools to care for your trees, hire the pros! Contact us today to learn about our winter tree services.

7 Questions to Ask Your Tree Removal Company

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Did you know that tree removal can prevent property damage? A diseased or damaged tree is just as heavy as a healthy tree, other than being structurally unsound. A falling tree can cause severe damage to your house, car, or property.

Contacting a tree removal company can prevent this from happening, saving you plenty of money in the long run. However, you need to be sure you choose the correct tree removal services.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list for you! By asking the questions below, you can be certain that you’ve chosen the perfect company.

Questions to Ask Your Tree Removal Company

If you’ve never hired a tree removal company, you may have so many questions that you don’t know where to start. These questions will give you a starting point.

Once you’ve gone over this list, you can add your own personal questions. Between this list and your own questions, you’ll have a personal checklist to make sure you know which tree removal company to go to.

1. Is There a Certified Arborist on Staff?

There are many reasons why you should make sure you work with a certified arborist.

The biggest reason you should work with a certified arborist is that certified arborists know trees. If you’re unsure whether your tree should be removed or simply pruned, you can consult with an arborist. If you need to clear away extra debris, they know how to do it.

In addition, the advice you can get from a certified arborist is invaluable. They can make suggestions on how to take care of your trees in the future or which ones will eventually need removal. They can also come up with the best plan to remove trees from your property.

2. How Long Will Tree Removal Take?

Timing is crucial when it comes to removing trees. Sometimes you need your trees removed urgently and don’t have time to wait. Knowing how long it will take also helps you form a plan.

Most tree removal services can have your tree removed in about a day. For complicated removals or land clearings, it will likely take multiple days.

This is assuming that everything will go according to plan. You never know when a large storm could hit and throw everything off track.

Regardless of how smoothly the plan goes, knowing how long it should take helps you work out other details.

3. Can You Give a Cost Estimate, Fees Included?

Being able to get an estimate for professional tree removal from a specific company will help you to choose the best one for your needs. Ideally, any cost estimates you receive will be given as a free quote.

A proper estimation of costs will include any fees that the company may charge. If a company cannot provide a cost estimate to you, they are likely not the right fit for you.

Knowing how much a company will charge gives you the opportunity to check if they fit your budget.

4. Can You Provide References?

Getting a list of past clients will provide you with the opportunity to fully vet the company and see if they are as trustworthy as they claim. If you are provided with references, make sure you contact each client.

Ask them what the tree removal company did and if they are satisfied with the result. Would they recommend the company to you? If so, why?

These are important questions to ask. Getting references from previous clients are more reliable than looking at online reviews. This is likely the best chance you’ll have to get the answers you need.

5. Do You Provide Debris Cleanup?

The process of tree removal often leaves a lot of debris in the yard, such as tree branches. Ideally, you should be left with a completely clean yard after the tree removal has been completed. Ask if they will remove the debris or if that’s something you need to do yourself and plan accordingly.

If they do remove debris, sometimes they will turn the debris into mulch or cut the branches into wood and stack them. This is usually for an extra fee, but if you need the materials, then it is absolutely worth it.

6. How Will You Protect My Property?

Protecting your property is a high priority. After all, preventing property damage may be the reason why you’re removing trees in the first place. Find out what precautions the company has to prevent damage to your property.

Property protection can fall in a few different categories. It could be preventing damage to your home or landscaping through falling branches. It could be ruts in your yard from vehicles used during the process of tree removal.

Accidents happen, but having a plan in place will help cut down on them. If property damage does occur, then the insurance company will likely cover the costs.

7. How Will You Do the Job?

When looking for a company to remove your trees, ask each company how they would do the removal. Asking about a company’s approach gives you a perfect view into if they’re a good fit for your needs.

Asking this question also helps weed out companies that don’t know what they are doing. Check for companies who have a drastically different answer from the others – it could be a red flag.

Get a Personalized Quote

Now that you know what questions to ask your tree removal company, you’re ready to find the perfect company to match your needs. There’s just one thing – you’ve already found it!

You can send your questions to us or any special requests through filling out the contact form. You can even get a personalized quote by filling out the contact form or using the other ways to contact us.

Reach out to us today to start the process of receiving tree removal services – you won’t regret it!