Here in Cincinnati, we are familiar with ice. From the gutters to the streets to the parking lots, that icy buildup can make every more treacherous for all of us.
What about the trees, though? A recent Channel 9 (WCPO) story detailed some of the trees and their paths of destruction.
In Newtown, a tree collapsed onto the roof of a house. Luckily, nobody was injured.
In Middletown, a falling tree landed on a woman’s car as she was driving.
A big swath of Anderson Township lost power after falling, icy trees took out power lines.
And while the storms have resulted in some great photographs, there have been many close calls, where destruction and injury could have easily been much worse.
Tree Issues In The Winter
How do we protect ourselves from potential ice-borne catastrophe?
Chris Mayhew wrote an article for the Cincinnati Enquirer encouraging people to stay away from those ice-coated branches and leave it to the professional tree trimmers.
Of course, we could not be more vehement in our agreement with Mr. Mayhew.
The winter months can be deadly for ice buildup. Taking on your own pruning is a hazardous pursuit. You could make the problem worse, and the potential for injuring yourself is high.
Tree Maintenance In The Winter
You do need to remove any problematic branches before the ice storms take them out. However, given the ice and snow buildup, you definitely want someone who can prune those branches without crashing into power lines, taking out fences, or busting through the hoods of cars.
For that reason, among others, the winter is the right time to call a tree service and have those problematic trees and branches cleared out before they hurt somebody.
People called February and March the “dormant season,” and it’s a smart span for clearing out the dangerous growth. Since the ground is frozen, the other plants and growth can stay in place while the trees are being extracted.
Since the dormant branch are leafless, they are much lighter — aside from the collected ice and snow — and therefore easier to cut back and remove.
The process of winter tree removal is elegant, and prudent.
And since the tree services are less busy during the dormant season, prices for tree removal and pruning are often lower than they would be in the middle of summer.
Tree Trimming Is Vital!
Keeping your trees properly trimmed can prevent accidents. It can reduce the risk of falling branches and It can also improve the health of the rest of your greenery — in case those mammoth trees are blocking sunlight or crowding neighboring root systems. Proper pruning can also vastly improve the beauty of your yard.
So, before those big branches snap off and take out any animals or structures on your property, call a tree service company, make an appointment, and have your trees trimmed back during the winter months. Let the frozen ground and leafless trees of the dormant season make for easy trimming, and easier removal.
And, by all means, do not take on that heavy lifting by yourself. Leave it to the professionals. Those ice-covered branches can wreak havoc, and as we’ve seen, they have already caused a great deal of damage across the Tri-State.
Good luck in the new year, and may your landscaping be lush, beautiful, abundant, and well-managed.
