With the changing of seasons, many people are eager to start trimming and pruning their shrubs and trees. Ed’s Tree Service is here to help you with tips and tricks on how to get the most out of tree trimming and pruning your Rockville property.
Why You Should Trim Your Rockville Trees in The Winter 
Pruning is an important step to allow more sunlight and air to filter through your trees in order to keep them happy and healthy. When pruning, focus on removing dying or dead branches and cut the branch as close to the stem as possible. It is very important not to prune any live branches. If you prune live branches off your tree, you will leave your tree susceptible to fungi and decay.
Once you’ve removed any dead or dying branched, you can cut any branches that rub or cross each other. In this situation, always go for the smaller branch and try to cut at the same angle as the branch collar- where the branch and tree trunk meet. You can also trim any low hanging branches that are too close to the ground.
Tips for Successful Tree Pruning and Trimming in Rockville, MD
Before heading outside with those cutters, take a look at the weather. You shouldn’t prune your tree if it is damp outside. Horticulturist April Johnson, landscape coordinator at the Rodale Institute explains, “Absolutely, do not prune if it’s wet out, it spreads a lot of diseases. Wait until the sun’s out for a little while; it dries out and kills mold and bacteria.”
Here are a few things to keep in mind for successful tree pruning:
- Keep your tools clean. In order to prevent disease from spreading, make sure to keep your pruning tools clean. You can easily disinfect tools with warm water and a teaspoon or two of bleach. If you used your tools to cut a diseased branch, cleaning them will keep the infection from spreading to other plants. Remember to always dry your tools to keep them from rusting.
- Know what to prune. Winter is a good time to trim shrubs and trees that produce sap in the spring. Some include: beauty berries, glossy abelia, hydrangeas, crabapples, poplar, junipers, cherries, plums, bradford and callery pears, spruce, and sumacs.
- Wait to prune certain trees. Some trees will ooze sap if they are pruned in the winter so it’s better to wait until summer to prune maples, dogwoods, walnuts, birches, and elm trees.
Know When to Turn to The Professionals for your Tree Trimming needs
Maybe you have an overgrown diseased limb that needs to be removed, or your tree is simply too large to safely prune yourself. Ed’s Tree service provides numerous tree trimming and pruning services to keep your trees happy and healthy. Our experts are also aware of all current safety standards and can be trusted to remove all unwanted shrubbery from your property safely.
Some of our tree trimming and pruning services include:
- Crown cleaning: Removes crowded, weak, dying, or dead branches from the crown.
- Crown thinning: Removes certain branches in the crown to increase light and air penetration, reduce wind resistance, and prevent winter storm damage.
- Crown elevating: Removes the lower limbs of the tree to increase visibility and provide clearance for walkways, vehicles or new structures.
- Crown clearing: Removes limbs that interfere with structures on your property such as gutters, roofs, windows, or decks for increased visibility and safety.
- Crown reduction: Reduces the overall size of the tree by reshaping the crown, usually necessary after storm damage.
For more information about tree trimming and pruning in Rockville, MD, contact us today or call 301-937-6269.
Did you know? Learn a little more about Rockville, Maryland:
Rockville is one of Maryland’s oldest towns, with its origins dating back to Colonial America. During Revolutionary times Rockville was known as Hungerford’s Tavern, the name of its most familiar business and landmark.
Rockville has grown very rapidly since its founding, from a leisurely, agriculturally-oriented county seat to a cosmopolitan city of many neighborhoods. It is home to a well-educated population and serves as an employment center for national biomed corporations, the federal government and county government.
