Page 36 - Oundle Life October 2022

WINTER
PRUNING
Taking care of your trees
As the leaves start to fall this Autumn, why not have a think about your Autumn/Winter pruning requirements? Andy and Lucy Stone from Nene Valley Tree Services share their top tips for tree care this time of year.
Winter Pruning
Fruit trees, and most deciduous trees (ones
that lose their leaves in winter) are all suitable for some general winter pruning. If you feel competent and safe enough to give it a go yourself, do it on a mild dry day, and first prune out any dead, dying, or diseased branches. Then remove the overgrown branches to increase light and air at the crown of the tree. In general, your goal is to keep the branches that develop or maintain the structure of the tree. Cut branches at the node, the point at which one branch or twig attaches to another. The aim in pruning fruit trees is to create stronger branches so they are able to hold its future crop!
Crown Reduction
Tree growth often gets stunted in confined spaces due to the lack of sunlight and space.
A Crown reduction will reduce the size and volume of the tree’s crown while retaining
its natural shape as much as possible. Trees naturally shed branches, and an arborist should aim to prune back to these points.
Additional information
Before starting ANY work on your trees – check with your local authority if you have any protected trees or are in a conservation area; a qualified arborist will be able to help you with the application.
Potentially dangerous limbs can, in theory, be removed without permission but the penalties for breaching the legislations, inadvertently or not, can be severe so it’s just not worth the risk!
And talking of risks, if you are engaging a tree surgeon – please double check they are fully insured for the job you want them to complete! NEVER buy from someone at your door, always check them out online first, read reviews about the company first and ask your friends and neighbours for recommendations. Safe Local Trades is also an excellent resource for finding all kinds of tradesmen, including tree surgeons! www.safelocaltrades.com
Also do bear in mind just how busy, small credible arborist firms get.
Don’t expect them to be available at the drop of a hat, we get booked up months ahead for our services, so be sure to start planning in advance of wanting the works.
www.nenevalleytreeservices.com
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