Did you know that the best time to prune your deciduous trees is during the winter? According to the International Society of Arboriculture, one of the many benefits of pruning during the dormant season is that it allows the wounds from the pruning cuts to heal more quickly. Trees do this by creating a callus that seals off the cut through new tissue growth. The immune system of the tree can take care of the cut and does not require any covering or painting.  Here are four additional advantages of pruning your trees during the winter.

1. Trees are less likely to be infected by insects or disease in the winter. This is because insects are less active in the cold weather. Decay fungi are also not sporulating and spreading as rapidly as they do in the fall and spring. Diseases such as Dutch elm can be avoided through dormant season pruning.
2. It is much easier to see the architecture of the tree when the leaves are gone. This makes pruning trees to one’s desired shape or height easier and more efficient. Crossing, damaged or dead branches are more readily visible as well, and can be corrected during dormant pruning.
3. With spring right around the corner, it is a great time to prepare your yard for the long awaited return of longer days and more sunshine. To accomplish this, selective thinning and windowing can be done to let more light into your home and yard. 
4. When branches larger than 3 inches in diameter need to be pruned, doing so in the winter will result in less response growth than in the summer or fall. People typically want to avoid unsightly water sprouts that come with removing larger branches.

Whether you are looking to have a tree shaped, the size reduced or just looking to get more light into your home, now is a great time! Click here for a free estimate.