Dormant Pruning: The Winter Tree Care Strategy Property Managers Shouldn’t Skip

Once winter rolls in and your landscaping seems tucked in until spring, you can forget about tree care for a few months, right?

Not so fast. Winter is actually the best time for tree pruning. 

Why prune trees in winter? Landscaping crews can see the tree structure better without leaves in the way. Trees have time to heal from those sharp pruning cuts during their dormant period. There are fewer bugs in winter to carry diseases to the trees’ open wounds.

Pruning keeps your trees and shrubs healthy. And a healthy landscape saves you money, time and hassle on your DC, Maryland or Virginia commercial property. 

Let’s learn more about dormant pruning benefits, including:

• What Is Dormant Pruning — and Why Does It Happen in Winter?
• How Dormant Pruning Saves You Time and Money
• Other Benefits of Dormant Pruning
• Your Winter Tree Care Strategy: Budget for It Throughout the Year 
• Dormant Pruning for Commercial Properties FAQ

What Is Dormant Pruning — and Why Does It Happen in Winter?

Dormant pruning is the removal of selective branches from a tree or shrub during its inactive or “dormant” period in the winter. 

Why prune trees in winter? It might seem strange to head out with pruning shears with snow on the ground, but there are several good advantages of dormant pruning: 

• Prune in winter, when trees and shrubs are dormant, and all the leaves are out of the way. Landscaping crews can easily peer into the branch structure and see exactly what they’re doing. With no leaves in the way, it's easier to see the tree's natural shape and correct any structural issues.
• One of the main reasons we prune is to snip out any diseased or broken branches, so they don’t hurtle to the ground later, harming people on your grounds or damaging cars or property. The weight of winter ice and snow can cause vulnerable branches to snap. Pruning before that happens reduces your liability.
• Why prune trees in winter? When you prune in the warm spring and summer months, those fresh cuts attract insects, which can spread disease. The fresh pruning cuts we make during dormancy will heal faster. That means less time for them to attract insects. And during winter here in the Mid-Atlantic, there are fewer insects around. So, your trees are more likely to stay disease free and healthy.
• What’s the importance of dormant pruning? It encourages vigorous new growth in the spring. Your trees will have fuller, healthier canopies.
• Opening up the tree canopy during winter allows more sunlight to reach the interior of the tree and improves air circulation. That encourages healthier growth and reduces the risk of fungal issues. 

Benefits of Dormant Pruning: It Saves You Money 

Dormant pruning isn’t just good for your trees — it benefits your bottom line, too: 

• As we mentioned earlier, pruning in winter, when no leaves are in the way, gives pruning crews a clear view of the tree's entire structure, making it faster to identify and remove dead, diseased, or problematic branches. That means they spend less time on your property.
• Removing weak branches before winter storms reduces the risk of them breaking and causing costly harm to people, damage to property or to other parts of the tree.
• Dormant pruning as part of your winter tree care strategy helps prevent more expensive maintenance later. By addressing problems early, you avoid needing more extreme, costly pruning or having to replace overgrown or damaged plants entirely.

Other Benefits of Dormant Pruning 

• Trees and shrubs that get too overgrown and gangly can pose lots of other hazards on your property. Wayward branches can snag pedestrians, obscure your signage and block your lighting. Dormant pruning corrects these issues before they become a safety concern.
• Pruning helps ensure the long-term health of your tree or shrub, helping it thrive on your property for years to come. Prune it as it grows, and you direct that growth in a healthy way, while also controlling its size. Start pruning when a tree is young and you help it develop a sturdy, healthy structure and form. It will also need less corrective pruning as it ages.
• One of the main advantages of dormant pruning is it actually strengthens your trees and shrubs, helping them stand up to high winds, heavy snow, damaging insects and diseases.
• Prune now, save money later. Yes, dormant pruning is a cost now, but it’s a lot cheaper than replacing dead trees and shrubs in the spring.
• Dormant pruning shrubs promotes long-term health and can also prolong their lifetime on your property. Pruning reduces their size so they don't outgrow their intended space.

Your Winter Tree Care Strategy: Budget for It Throughout the Year  

Trees need occasional pruning to stay healthy, thriving and safe. Dormant pruning is a key part of tree health and maintaining a safe commercial property. 

Do you have a budget plan for tree pruning? You need one. 

Maybe you have 50 or 100 trees on your commercial property. Pruning them all can get costly.

You need a separate component of your budget to manage tree care like dormant pruning. We can help you make a plan to prune several trees a year, so the expense is spread out over time. That makes the cost much more manageable. 

If you maintain your trees over time, that should reduce your costs in the long run. You won’t be forced to remove several dead or dying trees in an emergency situation.

If a large tree falls on your property and you need emergency commercial tree removal on a weekend, that’s really expensive. If a tree falls on a car, that becomes an insurance and liability issue.

It’s more expensive to replace a tree than to maintain it to be healthy.

Dormant Pruning for Commercial Properties FAQ

Q: When is the best time to schedule dormant pruning in DC, Maryland and Virginia? 

A: Late winter to early spring is best for dormant pruning in the Mid-Atlantic. February is ideal. 

Q: How do I know if my trees need dormant pruning?

A: If your tree has dead or dying branches; or branches that cross or rub together, it needs pruning. Branches that are growing too close to a building or structure should also be pruned. A tree that’s misshapen or unbalanced can also benefit from pruning, which can correct the shape and improve structure.
 
Q: Is dormant pruning safe for newly planted trees?

For newly planted trees, dormant pruning should only involve removing dead, broken, or diseased branches. Heavy pruning or shaping should wait until the tree's second or third year, as it needs its leaves for photosynthesis and to build a strong root system to recover from the stress of transplanting. 

Trust Your Tree Health to Level Green

At Level Green Landscaping, we hope to nurture the beautiful trees on your property through many years of good health, including the crucial dormant pruning that helps them thrive.
 
Expert tree care is part of our commercial landscape maintenance services in Washington D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions. 

Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.

We’d love to hear from you.