Our Kansas City Oaks & Elms are some of the most beautiful trees that we have in our Midwestern landscapes and throughout many parts of the world. Protecting and managing their health and longevity is beneficial in a multitude of ways.
This is why you may have heard that we only trim Oaks & Elms in the dormant season.
Why?
Because there are two lethal fungal disease that attack Oak & Elms, Oak Wilt and Dutch Elm Disease. These fungal diseases are carried by insects and ultimately attracted to fresh open wounds on a tree, like right after a fresh trim.
The insects are attracted to the fresh sap oozing sweet goodness out of the tree. When that insect lands on the trees, the insect itself does minimal damage but the fungal spores that it might carry will infect the tree and ultimately lead to its death and the death of other Oaks & Elms in the surrounding areas.
Therefore, pruning your Oaks & Elms in the dormant season significantly reduces that risk because the insects are dormant and the tree has the time to naturally heal the pruning wounds before the insects & diseases start moving again.
Keep an eye on your Oaks & Elms during the growing season, a tree can still sustain wounds from a variety of occurrences such as animal damage, storm damage, nature, etc.
We recommend to only have your Oaks & Elms trimming during the dormant season. We will occasionally do Oak & Elm pruning during the growing season, but only if it is an emergency situation and carefully inspected by an ISA Certified Arborist.
XOXO,
The Cartwright Tree Care Crew
