Winter begins this month (Dec 21). Here are a few things to be thinking about as we move into the coldest part of the year:

• Water is scarce when temps get below freezing
• Cold weather makes tree wood brittle and prone to splitting and cracking
• Wind, rain and snow put a physical strain on weakened trees
• Trees are in hibernation mode, living on reserves, and are particularly vulnerable

All of this together means two things:

1. Weak/damaged trees are dangerous to you
2. Trees might need extra care to stay healthy through the winter

We had a dry, hot summer this year, and that can put a strain on trees. If you haven’t inspected them to make sure they’re healthy, now is a good time to do it. High winds have already put trees and limbs on the ground this fall. On the bright side, now that the leaves have dropped, it’s much easier to inspect your deciduous trees.

While you’re at it, you may as well prune your trees. This is a good time of year for it, because:

• Again, no leaves means better visibility
• Diseases and pests are less active in the winter, so freshly cut branches are less likely to be attacked
• You can find and remove dangerous branches before they fall

Rocksalt can be harmful to trees

If you use rocksalt on your driveway, keep it away from tree roots. Salt that washes down into the soil will make it hard for roots to absorb water. During a cold winter, when the water is often frozen, that can be fatal for a struggling tree. In fact, rock salt is one of the recommended ways to kill and soften a stump.

Firewood reminder

If you’re burning firewood for heat this winter, don’t forget to rotate fresh wood into your wood storage as you burn up the seasoned stuff. One way to get free firewood (and chip mulch) is to sign up for Chipdrop. https://getchipdrop.com/ is a free service that tree companies like ours use to get rid of tree waste after a removal job.

High lumber prices means you can sell prime lumber trees for $$$

Even if you don’t burn firewood yourself, others in the area do. That means you might be able to make money off any trees you remove. And on that note, lumber prices are still high, so the market is better than ever for prime lumber trees. You can read this article for details on selling your trees for money.

–

And that’s all we have for this month! Stay warm, stay safe, and stay tuned for more seasonal tips from the tree world.