Atlanta has trees! Everywhere you look, they peek out of gutters, empty lots, and shopping centers. Some trees we breed, care for, and plant in the perfect spot. Some trees are just thrown in the ground and never grow, while others are planted by bird poop and go on to provide a home for bird babies years later. Many of our trees in Atlanta are old and special. To keep them healthy, it’s important to educate yourself on the best winter tree care for the old guys and gals.
- Think of it in human form. You would never perform surgery on a 110-year-old man. Like us, trees’ growth and defense slow down as they age. Any large branch removal needs to be done then when the tree is young. Too late you say? Try to remove the least amount possible and do it in the winter while the bugs are dead, the tree is asleep, and fungal spores are not flying around. Think of winter as the tree’s sterile surgical suite.
- Remove no more than 20% of the leaf surface per year. Leaves grow trees. It’s how they eat. If someone decreased your diet by 20%, but your size (roots) never decreased, your body wouldn’t function properly.
- Reduce their stress. A healthy tree can take care of itself – also known as sustainability. Mulch the roots, prune at the proper time, stay away from roots with feet, machines, cars. Be sweet to your trees. Remember, trees and plants are the only living things that cannot change their environment.
- Remove dead, hanging, and diseased branches. Trees can’t heal themselves but they have this amazing ability to seal off wounds, but they have to grow new tissue to cover it up. If a tree has a 4-foot dead stubby branch, that’s a lot of growing tissue. The tree can’t do it alone and water begins to enter the tree. Water + wood = not good. The tree begins to decay and will eventually need removal. They need to be pruned back to the trunk so the awesome 4 step process can begin. It’s called CODIT (aka Compartmentalization Of Decay In Trees), look it up.
Think of winter tree care as an investment. A healthy tree increases in value with age and pays big dividends by increasing property values, beautifying our surroundings, purifying our air, and saving energy by providing cooling shade from summer’s heat and protection from winter’s wind.
Whether you’d like a tree inspection or have a question about the services we provide, reach out to us and we’d be happy to support you and your trees. We look forward to hearing from you!