Winter is the Best Time to Prune And Cut Down Trees in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC

Recently past clients called Steve Carpenter Israel, President and CEO of Buyer’s Edge - Buyer Brokerage, to get his advice on when was the best time to trim their trees. The homebuyers had worked with Steve and bought a beautiful piece of Virginia real estate a couple of years back. During the home inspection process, it was determined that some of the large trees on the property would need some major pruning to protect the home. Another tree on the property also needed to be removed due to age. After negotiating with the sellers, the homebuyers received a substantial credit at settlement for the tree work. Unfortunately, the Virginia homebuyers had never completed the tree work and now they found themselves concerned about the safety of their home after a recent storm.

Without any hesitation, Steve Carpenter-Israel explained, “Winter is the best time to trim your trees and shrubs. The leaves are long gone, and you can take advantage of the tree's dormancy.“ "Organic Gardening" also seems to concur with Steve Israel. They say dormant trees are less “susceptible to physiological problems to insects and diseases which affect open wounds.” Also, during the winter, trees can focus all their energy on healing any pruning locations since they are not spending energy on spring and summer growth.  The dormant season also is an ideal time to see tree limbs more clearly without all the green leaves in the way.

Another major reason to prune trees in the winter is to protect wildlife on your property.  These trees are home to bird and squirrel nests that are often full of new little babies in the spring and summer. Though many homeowners agonize over whether they should cut down a tree or leave it, sometimes they have no choice if it threatens the safety of their family or their neighbor’s family.

When the decision is made to do the tree work, Steve Israel told his homebuyers in Virginia to use a professional. “Hire a trusted, experienced professional to avoid injuries. You need someone to make the right decisions on what to prune or cut and how to do it correctly. You don’t want to damage trees or your property with an inexperienced tree guy!“

Steve Israel recommended Yokley Tree Service to his clients.  (He also suggested that they take a look at the updated Buyer’s Edge Recommended Home Services & Contractor List on the company website.) Steve has worked with and recommended Robert Yokley’s family for over thirty years. He met Robert Yokley Senior through my father many years ago. Though both these wonderful men have recently passed away, we’re lucky that his son “Rob” has continued the family business and tradition. Robert Yokley Junior was trained and worked side by side with his father for years. Most of the same tree service professionals that worked with his dad still work for Yokley Tree Service. They are experienced, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. Yokley Tree Service is truly reliable and has reasonable rates!

Whether you own a home in Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC, schedule your winter tree trimming and cutting now. Buyer’s Edge recommends several excellent tree service companies to get the job done right! We also recommend other contractors, please take a look at our Buyer's Edge Recommended Contractor's List.