Nature Pruned Last Week  … Time to Finish the Job!

Nature did its pruning Friday.

You might remember: 50 mph gusts. Shrieking winds that rattled trees and signs. Debris, some large, blowing across streets and yards. Perhaps your own death grip on the steering wheel, fighting powerful gusts trying to redirect your vehicle’s path.

When all was over, every homeowner saw the aftermath. Limbs and branches of all sizes littered the ground. Some might have landed atop a roof, deck or patio. Hopefully no damage resulted.

If Friday’s mini-hurricane created a new firewood supply for you, here’s a tip: Stop collecting for a moment, and look up.

Chances are some broken branches yet dangle in your trees. If they hang over the yard, no worries. If their drop zone threatens your home, vehicle or power lines, better act.

Don’t take silly chances with ladders, or climbing on the roof. If a broken limb is too high to reach safely, contact GMS to help. We’ll remove the limb or, if needed, call in assistance from another professional in Brookfield, Elm Grove and New Berlin, WI.

Think also about the branches on the ground. Where did they break off from? If you see jagged partial limbs left on trees, trimming them back is a smart idea.

Why? Trees direct their energy to either heal, shed or replace broken limbs. Pruning damaged branches does the work for the tree, allowing this vital growth to be sent elsewhere, to sprout new leaves or branches in spring.

Proper pruning – back to a branch collar, the point where a branch joins the trunk or another branch – creates a clean cut that protects the tree. Open wounds are openings for disease and pests come warmer weather. We’re still in the best time of year for pruning, as trees stand dormant and quiet.

Unsure how to prune correctly, or unable to safely reach a broken limb? Again, contact GMS to help.

In any case, don’t wait to pick up collected limbs, branches and twigs from Friday’s winds. The ground is frozen. You can walk without compacting mushy soil, tearing up grass or getting shoes muddy.

Besides, who wants to worry about walking into the house, and leaving messy footprints across a floor or carpet? Nature’s pruning created enough mess outside – no need to bring it inside, too.