Proper Tree Care In The Fall Offers Protection Against Harsh Toronto Winters

After a long and cold winter, residents of Southern Ontario will eagerly and perhaps even impatiently await the signs that springtime has returned. Among these signs is the budding and blossoming of trees that have stood barren and dormant for many months.

Trees seemingly have a means of reappearing and regenerating themselves in an almost magical fashion – ever heard or made the comment that the trees seem to have come back overnight? While trees must indeed be hardy to survive a harsh Toronto winter, there are several tree care steps that can be implemented during the fall to help protect your trees from the wrath of the colder temperatures and blustery weather.

In order to enhance tree health throughout the winter and provide the foundation for a robust start to the spring growing season, these tree care tips for the fall months may be of some value to property owners:

Pruning

• Remove dead, diseased, or damaged wood only
• Some very light pruning may be done solely for the purpose of shaping the tree

Watering

• Should be done once all the leaves have fallen from the tree
• Continue on a regular basis until ground has frozen (to counter winter drought)

Winter Protection

• Particularly important for young trees
• When the ground has frozen, apply a layer of mulch around tree base (4-6 inches)
• Leave a gap of a few inches between the mulch and the tree trunk
• Mulch can be wood chips or fallen leaves
• Alternatively, wrap the trunk with burlap from the ground to the lowest branch

Fertilizing

• May actually be detrimental to fall tree care – should be held off until the spring
• Fall fertilizing can promote new growth that is more susceptible to winter damage

Planting

• Fall is a good time to plant trees in Toronto (with the exception of a few species)
• Contact a local tree care service for advice and/or assistance with fall planting

While all of the above tree care can certainly be performed and/or addressed by a do-it-yourself gardener over the fall months, there may be some hesitation or indecision with respect to:

• The extent of any pruning
• Assessing the presence of diseased wood
• When to start/stop watering
• How much/how often to water
• How to properly wrap and secure the burlap
• Which trees to plant (or not plant) in the fall

In the event that some or all of these circumstances may be hindering the maintenance and protection of your trees heading into this coming winter, you might find benefit in securing the skills and expertise of a professional tree care service such as DreamWorks Tree Services.

Proper Tree Care And Tree Service Is A Year Long Process

Unlike seasonal gardening, such as planting and maintaining flower beds and vegetable gardens, tree care is fundamentally a year long process that requires specific actions at various times throughout the different seasons experienced in the Toronto area.

In order to promote the growth and vitality of your trees, it is important that they not be neglected or essentially left to fend for themselves, but rather be attended to as needed on a seasonal basis. Yet for many residential or commercial property owners, tree care may be a cumbersome task amid all of their other responsibilities – for this reason there are professional tree companies like DreamWorks Tree Services.

DreamWorks Tree Services understands the importance of timing when it comes to proper tree care and maintenance needs, and can expertly deliver all of the following services at the appropriate points of the calendar year:

• Planting
• Pruning
• Fertilizing
• Shaping
• Protecting
• And more

To ensure the health of your trees across all seasons, and particularly throughout the fall and winter months, call the tree care service experts at DreamWorks Tree Services today at 647-924-2627 or contact us to determine the services that best suit your specific needs.