It’s that time of year again to start getting yards and gardens cleaned up for the growing season ahead. If you have any trees in your yard now is the time to start thinking about general tree care and having them pruned!
Typically, most trees benefit from pruning between the time the leaves drop in late fall and before the buds begin to grow in early spring. With the safest and most effective time being just before the latter. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Including;
- Spring Flowering Trees: Prune these trees after they have finished blooming to avoid removing next year’s flower buds.
- Elm Trees: Avoid pruning elms between April 1st and October 1st to reduce the risk of Dutch elm disease.
- Oak Trees: Avoid pruning oaks between April 15th and October 15th to reduce the risk of oak wilt.
Healthy Trees, Healthy City
Keeping trees healthy is incredibly important for not just your yard, but also for the health of the City. The benefits provided by a healthy urban forest to the population is impressive and include:
- Helping to improve air quality by trapping pollution particles that cause breathing problems.
- Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases and in return provide us with oxygen.
- In the warmer seasons trees help to reduce air temperature when water evaporates from their leaves.
- They help reduce the risk of heat islands developing (check out this story about a town in Quebec that is encouraging residents to plant trees to help reduce this happening)
- Importantly, they intercept rainfall, helping to reduce storm water runoff and improving water quality.
- They provide much-needed wildlife habitat!
- Planting deciduous trees on the west and south-facing sides of homes can help cool homes in the summer.
- Planting evergreens on the north side of homes can help keep homes warmer in the winter months by acting as windbreaks.
Clearly there are many good reason to have trees and to take care of them!
So how do you do that? Well to start, you can make sure that you are always hiring a qualified tree care company and arborist. Check out the tips below for some things to keep in mind when hiring one.
Tips for Selecting A Qualified Tree Care Company
- Always, always, always hire a certified arborist! You are looking for someone with experience, education and a good reputation to care for your tree. Do not be afraid to ask for qualifications from the person actually doing the work.
- Beware of those that knock on your door. Quite often these people are employing scare tactics and are commonly found knocking on doors after storms and they aren’t always qualified.
- Ask if workers will be using climbing spikes or spurs. Responsible companies will not use these on trees unless they are being removed. Why? Puncture marks in the bark from the spikes/spurs create potential entry points for pests and disease.
- Make sure they have insurance! You will want to make sure that the company is covered by the Workers Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and don’t be afraid to call and make sure that the company you are choosing is covered by whichever company they tell you is insuring them. Why? Under some circumstances property owners can be held financially responsible if an uninsured worker is hurt of a neighbouring property is damaged.
- Request references. A local list is best!
- Don’t be rushed into choosing a company based on a ‘bargain’. It’s always a good idea to get more than one estimate and to keep in mind that the cheapest one isn’t always the best one. (You know that old adage, if it’s seems too good to be true….)
- Be informed! The joy of the internet and its plethora of resources is that it is really quite easy to educate yourself on proper tree care techniques.
Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests (LEAF)
I also highly recommend checking out information from an organization called Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests or LEAF. They have a phenomenal collection of information about Toronto’s urban forest and tons of information that will help keep your trees healthy. They also offer a backyard tree planting program that offers native trees and shrubs to property owners at a subsidized cost. Which is an amazing resource if you don’t have a tree and want one!