Tree Care Guide for the Boston Hills, Season by Season

Trees in the Boston hills live a different life from trees a hundred miles inland. Lake Erie hands them heavy, wet lake-effect snow, gusty southwest wind, soft clay soil and a long freeze. Here is the calendar we work from, season by season, so you know what to look at and when to call.

Why Western New York is hard on trees

Three things set our region apart. First, snow load: lake-effect bands can drop a foot or more of heavy, wet snow in hours, and a canopy full of ice carries many times its normal weight. Second, wind: the first big southwest blows of the fall arrive while some trees still hold leaves, which gives the wind the most surface to push against. Third, ground: wet, clay-heavy soil holds trees well in a dry summer and lets go in a saturated fall.

Add the trees that were planted here a generation ago, often fast-growing silver maples and Norway maples on lots that were never sized for them, and you have a landscape where a little attention each season prevents most of the expensive surprises.

Spring: look, then wait

• Walk the property after the thaw. Look for broken limbs, cracked branches still hanging in the crown and trees that lean more than they did in the fall.
• Do not judge dead wood too early. Some trees leaf out late. Wait until the rest of the neighborhood is green before deciding a branch is dead.
• Hold off on big pruning. Fresh growth is demanding, and heavy cuts in spring cost the tree energy it needs.
• Clean up and mulch. Pull winter debris away from trunks and refresh mulch two to four inches deep, kept a few inches back from the bark.

Summer: water, mulch and watch the storms

• Water young trees. Trees planted in the last two or three years need a slow, deep soak about once a week in dry spells.
• Skip the volcano. Mulch piled against the trunk holds moisture on the bark and invites rot. Spread it flat, like a donut.
• Check after thunderstorms. Short, violent cells with straight-line winds are the main summer threat. Look up for hangers, limbs caught in the crown that can fall later.
• Watch for stress. Leaves that scorch, wilt or drop early in midsummer are a signal worth a second look.

Fall: inspect before the wind arrives

Fall is when we do pre-storm inspections. We look for the weak crotches, the dead ash and the leaning trunks most likely to come down, so they come down on your terms rather than the weather’s.

• Remove deadwood now. Dead branches are the first to fail in a wind event.
• Do not prune heavily. Fresh cuts going into a lake-effect winter are an open door for decay.
• Rake, do not pile. Leaves against a trunk hold moisture and pests close to the bark.

Winter: the pruning season

Once the leaves are down and the tree is dormant, you can see its structure, insects and disease are least active, and cuts heal quickly when spring growth starts. For most trees, February into March is the sweet spot. We cover the details in our guide to when to prune in Western New York.

• Do not shake ice off branches. Bending a frozen limb can crack it. Let it melt.
• Mind the salt. Road salt spray and runoff damage trees along driveways and streets. Rinse in spring and keep piled snow with salt away from roots.
• Stay clear of laden trees. A tree bent under snow can snap back or break. Call a professional instead of climbing under it.

When to call a professional

Call us if a tree is touching a roof or a line, if a large limb is hanging, if you see a split trunk, mushrooms at the base or sudden leaning, or if you simply want a trained eye to tell you what can wait. The walk-through is free and the answer is honest, including “leave it alone.”