Winter is one of the best time to prune and examine your bushes

The grey, nonetheless days of winter are the proper time to prune bushes. The truth is, winter is the one really helpful time to prune some species, akin to oaks.

“When you prune oaks in the course of the rising season, you threat spreading severe illnesses,” stated Sharon Yiesla, plant information specialist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. One of many worst is a fungal illness referred to as oak wilt.

The oak wilt fungus is unfold by a beetle that’s interested in open pruning wounds in bushes and carries the spores from tree to tree. For the reason that beetles aren’t energetic in winter, the secure interval for pruning an oak is between Oct. 15 and April 15, Yiesla stated.

Oak wilt is tough or not possible to deal with, she stated, so one of the best ways to struggle it’s to forestall it. A very powerful factor a house owner can do to guard an oak is to prune it solely in winter, until it has been broken by a storm.

Winter can be one of the best time to prune different bushes, when they’re dormant and never actively rising, Yiesla stated. As with oak wilt, the chilly will cut back the chance of spreading different pests and illnesses.

The naked branches additionally make it simpler for a educated arborist to see the tree’s construction and verify its well being. And if the bottom is frozen when bushes are pruned, surrounding perennial beds and different backyard areas gained’t be broken by professionals’ gear.

Giant, mature bushes needs to be pruned by licensed professionals. “An authorized arborist has the coaching and gear to do it safely,” Yiesla stated. Yow will discover an authorized arborist by means of the web site of the Worldwide Society of Arboriculture (treesaregood.org/findanarborist) or the Illinois Arborist Affiliation (illinoisarborist.org).

Prune a tree your self provided that you are able to do it together with your toes on the bottom. Working above the bottom to prune tree branches that will weigh a whole bunch of kilos requires the particular security coaching and gear that skilled companies have. “It’s straightforward to get severely damage pruning bushes,” Yiesla stated.

“At all times err on the facet of hiring an expert and holding your self secure.”

It’s a good suggestion to have giant, mature, invaluable bushes inspected each few years, to catch any issues early. “That’s factor to do in winter too,” she stated.

For tree and plant recommendation, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic, or plantclinic@mortonarb.org). Beth Botts is a workers author on the Arboretum.