Expert Arborist Advice

Tree Care Tips

Why Choose Winter Tree Work?

Can you do tree work in the winter? Lots of people think tree service companies stop work in the winter. Some do, but many are still out there working! Don’t worry, it’s not too cold for us: we’re active and busy, and have winter gear to keep us warm. Winter is a great time for many types of tree work.

As a homeowner, you may have trouble telling a healthy branch from a dying one without seeing the leaves, but arborists are trained to make this distinction all year round.

Pruning

Pruning is our favourite type of winter tree work! Trees are dormant in winter, which means a few things. Firstly, it’s easier to see branches and any issues with the tree when leaves have fallen. Your arborists can more easily see the structure of the tree and they are better able to do structural pruning or prune to give the tree a stronger and more attractive shape.

Secondly, the timing will allow cuts to heal significantly before the spring growing season begins. That means your tree will be able to direct more energy to healthy spring growth, rather than to recovering from pruning once the weather gets warmer.

Insects and fungal infections can target newly pruned trees, which is why hot summer weather isn’t the best season for pruning; however, these pests are also dormant in winter. Your tree may also be easier to access for pruning or removals if you have a yard or other space full of leafy growth in the high season.

Removals

Sometimes, trees need to be removed in winter; other times, winter is just the time it works for scheduling. Tree removals can generally happen year-round. It can be easier to remove deciduous trees in winter as arborists have a clear view without leaves on the branches. The removal may also go more smoothly without the weight of leaves on branches. 

Frozen ground and tidied-up yards can also mean that you’re undertaking the removal without the worry of damage to a growing flower or vegetable bed, or relocating the lawn furniture or kids’ outdoor toys.

Winter can also be a time to save on tree work. Many companies will offer lower rates on winter business since it’s a slower time of year, and your job may be scheduled faster since you’re not competing with summer customer volumes.

Emergency Winter Tree Work

Winter tree with broken branch from winter storm on a residential street with safety cone in frontNobody anticipates having to deal with it, but one major category of winter business is emergency storm damage cleanup or other emergency tree work. Winter wind and ice storms will happen, and though you can get ahead of some potential damage by taking care of your tree year-round, some damage will always be unpredictable.

Luckily, arborists are available year-round to remove a broken limb after an ice storm, a tree with a cracked trunk, and branches broken in high winds. We’ll also take care of issues like a tree that breaks unexpectedly during the winter season and poses a danger to a sidewalk, home, or other building.

Whether it’s ice storm tree cleanup, adding support for injured branches, or removing a tree fallen on a house in a winter storm, arborists can help with your winter tree emergencies! If there are electrical wires involved, you’ll need to speak with a trained utility arborist.

Planning Ahead

Winter isn’t suited to all types of work. Can you plant trees in winter? Activities like planting are highly dependent on the time of year (and thawed ground), so this won’t work. Stump grinders won’t work on a frozen, snow-covered stump. However, for many jobs, we can still complete site visits and reports while the weather is frosty. Winter can be a great time for planning spring work, planting, treatments, fertilizing, and more. 

Some treatments and plantings are very time-sensitive, so winter is when you want to start thinking about this and contract an arborist: by the time you realize spring is here, it may be too late!

We can also complete reports and assessments for planned spring and summer tree work or construction work that requires an arborist report. This way, you can get ahead with permit applications and get started as soon as the weather warms!

Do Tree Services Work in All Winter Weather?

Of course, not all winter weather is ideal for arborists. Cool or cold dry days in the winter are perfect, but other weather may mean jobs get postponed. High winds and blowing snow can make it dangerous to work. Snow can affect visibility, and the aftermath of snow and ice storms can make some non-hazard work riskier. In most cases, your job should be able to be rescheduled soon!

Looking for a tree service available for winter work? Give Vista Tree Management a call!

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Cheryl Cooke
09/05/2023
James responded quickly to my request for a quote and he and his crew did an extremely professional job with perfect cleanup. I would recommend these guys in a heartbeat. James is an excellent communicator and a pleasure to work with. Thanks for giving my garden a great jump on Spring.
Lawrence Tavers
17/04/2023
James and Michael have been the best arborists I’ve ever dealt with. First off, they were friendly and professional. They didn’t just throw out a number, they went through the job and what needed to be done and what didn’t and gave me a reasonable price. On the day, the crew came and did a fantastic job. It was a hard one but they made it look easy. And the clean up was perfect, my yard looked better than it did before they came. They’re my go to from now on.
Johnathan Melnick
15/04/2023
I got two trees removed for a renovation project, and vista was on it right from the start. Report came through right away, permits right after but then due to some cost over runs I had to delay for 4 months and hold off on the removals until last month. Trees came down so well, crew was really professional. They left the site looking CLEAN and thats saying a lot as it had a lot of builder garbage around .stump grinding happened right away. James and Mike went above and beyond to manage this and help me out when the unexpected happened. Definitely recommend.
Ronald Romick
13/04/2023
Very professional work. We are very satisfied with the quality of the work done. We would recommend Vista 100 percent. Great quality, performance and professional.
John Rydzkowski
04/04/2023
I had James and his crew cut down and remove my 40'+ blue spruce before the wind blew it over. There was an urgency in getting the work done and they were there for me. They were very professional, worked safely and cleaned up when they were finished. They also showed me proof of insurance and WSIB which is very important as a home owner. I'm happy to recommend them to anyone. Thanks 😊
Marlee Pinsker
28/03/2023
Vista Tree Management came to our house and did a wonderful job helping to protect the roof from squirrel damage. James walked around the perimeter of the house with me and pointed out every tree branch that might possibly be the instrument of a squirrel finding its way to the roof. He then set up a time, came over promptly, and in short time cut down many tree limbs and branches. He consulted with me about whether anything else needed to be done, and when I pointed out one last branch, he cut it down. I feel I have finally found a tree service which has the knowledge and expertise to help with my property. My husband and I are more than satisfied! The staff at Vista Tree Management were so very helpful.
Kristian Alexander Kennedy
15/02/2023
We had the pleasure of working with Vista recently and we could not have asked for better service. We have a small apple tree and hedge in our front yard that we wanted pruned. As part of the quote, we had also requested that some time be spent with us as the pruning occurred so that we could learn how to properly care for our garden going forward. James was prompt, responsive and incredibly thorough. He completed the tasks exactly as we had discussed and as was quoted. He was patient and spent lots of time teaching us the various pruning methods that he was utilizing. Not only does he have excellent attention to detail while pruning, but he also takes great care in cleaning up all the plant debris once he was finished the job. We can’t thank him enough for the excellent service provided. We will be sure to reach out to Vista for all of our future pruning/landscaping needs. Thanks James.
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