Avoiding "Tree-Mergencies" with Preventive Tree Maintenance

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - Feb. 28, 2018 - PRLog -- As fall becomes winter, it's important for you to assess and care for the trees on your property. The ravages of winter storms, high winds, and heavy snow will be here soon. Maintenance now could possibly spare you the heartbreak and cost of an emergency tree removal.

At Advanced Tree Care, we regularly perform inspections and recommended fall maintenance in our nine-county, two-state service area. We're happy to share some of our top tips for autumn and early winter preventive tree maintenance.

Clear leaves
Everyone dreads leaf removal, but it's a necessary evil for your yard maintenance heading from fall into winter. Removing leaves helps your grass breathe and keeps your trees healthier. Diseases and pests love rotting leaves—and these afflictions can spread to your trees, damaging them. Ensure your lawn is clear, especially before the snow falls.

Inspect your trees
Spend the time to carefully inspect each of the trees on your property. Use this checklist:
·       Is your tree upright and not leaning?
·       Do you see any signs of damage or soil erosion around its roots?
·       Is any part of the tree too close to your home or to electric wires and cables?
·       Do the junctions of the tree's major branches and its trunk look healthy and intact? Or do you see fractures?
·       Was there any discoloration in the leaves of the tree's canopy this season?
If you have any doubt, have a licensed arborist inspect your trees. The staff at Advanced Tree Care can recommend pruning or other preventive maintenance to help your tree make it through the winter unscathed.

Have your trees pruned
This time of year is optimal for tree pruning, as trees are going into dormancy. We can trim your trees' branches so they don't come in close contact with your house or other structures, or nearby cables or wires. Deadwood on trees decays, attracting fungi and other diseases and pests. And this can weaken otherwise healthy trees. While it can be done anytime during the year, deadwooding is best done during fall. It's easier to see deadwood, so pruning is simpler.

Protect young trees
If you've planted new trees on your property this year, you'll want to protect them. Stake new deciduous trees for their first one or two seasons. You might also consider protecting them from foraging animals, such as deer, that would visit over the winter months. An investment now yields healthier, stronger trees later.