Winter Time Tree Safety

How your trees will fare in the winter will depend on the type of tree and the maintenance they need. However, there are standard tree safety rules you should follow to give them the best chance of making it through the winter in good health.

It is also important to note if you feel your trees are experiencing any serious health or safety issues, call a certified arborist to conduct an inspection and carry out any necessary maintenance.

Removing Snow

It is tempting to shake the limbs of trees that have been loaded with snow. The snow that builds up after a heavy snowfall can make limbs look vulnerable and droopy. The thing is, by trying to help your trees, you may end up inadvertently damaging the limbs. Trees have lived for millions of years and have grown through snowstorms without human intervention for much of that time.

The bottom line: trees are much more resilient than owners often realize, which leads to unnecessary attempts at intervention where the tree suffers damage.

Stay Off the Ice

If you find yourself watching your tree limbs for ice forming in the worst of the winter months, that is not necessarily a bad thing. It is always important to monitor the health of your trees, which includes trying to ensure limbs don’t become damaged or broken. You may begin to run into problems if you attempt to save your tree from icy limbs, however.
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Climbing an icy tree is never advisable. It is difficult enough to safely climb a tree when it isn’t covered in a sheet of ice or frost. Check from ground level for damaged limbs and keep an eye on things until the tree thaws out. You don’t have to panic if there are a few limbs that have suffered slight-to-moderate damage.
 

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