Vancouver’s urban forests are abundant with thriving trees that colour the city’s canopy green. Yet whenever winter comes, these trees must rest to prepare for spring. Preparation is everything in the Pacific Northwest, as it can be a harsh time.
The dormant season is crucial if you wish to maintain and improve your tree’s health and structural integrity during the change of seasons.
Here’s a short guide to Vancouver’s dormant season and how your tree’s dormancy makes it an excellent time for tree maintenance.
What the Dormant Season Means for Your Trees
The dormant season refers to the early winter weeks when trees become inactive to adapt to current climate conditions.
In Vancouver, this usually occurs from late November to mid-December.
With less sunlight and cooler temperatures, your tree uses this resting period to survive with fewer resources – just like bears hibernate in winter when food sources are scarce.
Tree TLC: Five Winter Tree Care Tips
Before this dormancy, deciduous trees reabsorb the resources from their leaves before shedding their foliage in late fall.
Without leaves to nourish the tree, its need for water is reduced.
Meanwhile, evergreen trees don’t shed leaves.
They can better handle cold temperatures and water loss.
The dormant season and cool winter months are the best times to prune your trees.
This ensures that your tree is in its best shape for the upcoming growing season, ready to soak in the sunlight and resources of early spring.
Preparing Your Trees for the Dormant Season
Before your tree slows down its growth, you can take specific measures to ensure it has the best fighting chance against the cold weather.
Mulching is an effective way to prepare your tree for the snowfall.
A layer of mulch under your tree helps keep the soil warm while retaining the moisture underneath.
It also protects your tree’s root system from frost damage caused by winter winds.
You can mix autumn leaves with your mulch, and once they decompose, they become an additional source of nutrients.
After the first hard frost, you can put two to four inches of mulch around your tree, three to six times the diameter of the stem.
However, to avoid rot, you should leave a three-inch gap between the mulch and the tree trunk.
Benefits of Dormant Pruning
Regular pruning is a crucial part of proper tree maintenance.
Different pruning techniques can offer various benefits that match your goals for your tree – aesthetic appeal, safety, convenience, or overall health.
Winter pruning makes the most sense regarding the ideal time of year to prune in Vancouver.
A Pruning Guidebook
Summer pruning may only be recommended for certain fruit trees or to manage hazardous branches.
Since deciduous trees have already shed their leaves in the winter, your local arborist has a clear view of your tree’s structure and can easily remove the dead and diseased branches.
Similarly, the tree’s bareness makes overgrown branches easier to locate and trim, improving their appearance once their leaves return in the spring.
Your arborist can also assess and improve your tree’s air flow much more efficiently, which is handy when storms and high winds strike.
Dormant tree pruning also lowers the risk of pests and diseases getting into your tree.
Pruning can also remove adult pests that hide in bark crevices.
When a tree is active, pruning cuts leave open wounds with sap that can potentially attract disease-carrying pests.
Since the tree focuses on healing instead of growth, you can also expect that the pruning cuts will seal faster during the dormant season.
Work with a Professional Arborist
The dormant season is the perfect time to prune most trees in Vancouver.
Yet, if not done correctly, pruning errors can do more harm than good.
Working with an ISA-certified arborist is a wise investment for winter tree care.
Professional arborists have the knowledge, experience, and tools for proper pruning.
Reputable tree service companies also give you peace of mind with their fully insured services.
So take advantage of the dormant season for your tree maintenance and expect a healthier and more appealing tree come springtime.
