What tasks should be done during the dormant season in central North Carolina?

The dormant season is ideal for structural pruning, planting new trees and shrubs, applying compost tea, installing bat boxes, and decompacting soil. Since most plants are less active, they can better handle stress from these tasks, and there’s less risk of interfering with wildlife or pests.

Why is structural pruning best done in winter?

During winter, trees are dormant and not actively growing, which makes it easier to see their branch structure and make strategic cuts. Pruning now also reduces the chance of disease transmission and stress on the plant.

Is it okay to plant trees during the winter?

Yes! Winter is actually one of the best times to plant trees in central NC. The cooler temperatures reduce transplant shock and give the tree time to establish roots before the growing season begins.

January 2023 Treecologist Tribune

I hope you have had a wonderful start to the new year. I'm excited to get back to work after two weeks off for the holidays.

It has been a while since I've written a tribune, but that's because this time of year, it's a little bit quiet in the field. We have been busy taking care of all sorts of winter tree care tasks, but there are very few active pests or wildlife out and about during the dormant season.

But fewer critters on our trees and shrubs doesn't mean we're short of work to do. In fact, winter is the ideal time to take care of some tree care tasks like structural pruning and planting because the plants are dormant and can take a bit more stress.

What else can be done in the winter? Installing a bat box, applying a healthy dose of compost tea to your soil, or decompacting the soil around the base of your tree (click the link to find out why it's important to decompact).

What else can be done? Here is a full winter tree care checklist.