Most tree problems we see in the West Island could have been prevented by a few hours of work at the right time of year. Trees here go through deep cold, freeze-thaw cycles, ice storms, road salt and summer heat waves, and each season has its own short list of jobs. Here is the year, season by season.
Late Winter: Prune While Trees Are Dormant
February to early April, before the buds open, is the best pruning window for most deciduous trees. The tree is dormant, so cuts cause little stress, and with no leaves the branch structure is easy to see. Oaks should only be pruned while dormant, because oak wilt spreads through fresh wounds in the growing season. Never remove more than a quarter of the canopy in one season. See tree trimming and pruning for what we do.
Spring: Inspect and Mulch
Once the snow is gone, walk your property and look for winter damage: cracked or hanging branches, split trunks, and bark torn by frost. Mature maples and oaks, common in Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield and Kirkland, deserve a close look. A large crack or a hanging limb is a job for an arborist, not a ladder.
Spread 7 to 10 cm of organic mulch (wood chips, shredded bark or leaf compost) around each tree, out to the drip line if you can, and keep it 15 cm away from the trunk. Never pile it against the bark in a "volcano": trapped moisture invites rot and insects. If salt was spread near your trees over the winter, water deeply to flush it out of the root zone. Spring is also the time to check ash trees for the emerald ash borer: D-shaped exit holes, a thinning crown and splitting bark. Read more about emerald ash borer in Kirkland and Baie-D'Urfé.
Summer: Water Deeply and Watch for Pests
Water trees the opposite way to your lawn: deeply and rarely. A garden hose left trickling at the base for 30 to 60 minutes once a week soaks the soil 30 to 45 cm down, where the roots are. Water early in the morning. Newly planted trees need it twice a week during heat waves; established trees usually only need help in long dry spells, though the sandy soils in parts of Île-Bizard drain fast and need more.
Heat stress shows as leaves browning or crisping at the edges, wilting, curling or dropping early. Birch and dogwood are among the most sensitive. On a large mature tree, the same signs can point to root damage or compacted soil rather than heat alone.
Japanese beetles appear in late June and skeletonize the leaves of lindens and birches. Tent caterpillars build silk nests in the forks of cherry and apple trees and can strip a small tree in days, and spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) caterpillars go after oaks. Look for chewed leaves, silk webs and droppings on the ground: an infestation caught early is the easiest to treat.
Fall: Get Trees Ready for Winter
Keep watering deeply until the ground freezes, usually in late November around Pointe-Claire and Beaconsfield. Evergreens like cedars and spruces need it most: their needles keep losing water all winter while frozen roots can't replace it. Top up the mulch to protect roots from the frost heaving common in the clay soils of Kirkland and Dorval.
Rake up the leaves. A wet mat left on the lawn smothers it and breeds snow mould, and leaf piles against a trunk hold moisture against the bark. Check whether your city collects leaves at the curb in the fall.
Wrap the trunks of young, thin-barked trees (maples, lindens, fruit trees) from the base to the first branch. Winter sun warms the south side of the bark by day, the night freezes it, and the bark splits; this is called sunscald or frost cracking. Take the wrap off in April. Burlap screens protect young evergreens from drying winter wind and from salt spray along streets and driveways.
Before ice season, have dead and weak branches over the roof, driveway and wires removed; bigger structural pruning can wait for late winter. If a large tree has weak forks or old cracks, ask about cabling: steel cables between the main limbs that help it carry ice and snow. Book in September or early October; by late November the ground is often frozen and heavy equipment can't get in as easily.
Winter: Ice Storms and Emergencies
Ice storms are the main winter threat. Silver maples, willows and poplars break first. Don't shake ice off branches, stay out from under heavily loaded trees, and keep 10 metres away from any downed wire. If a tree comes down on the house, the car or a line, see our 24/7 emergency tree service for what to do while you wait.
When to Call an Arborist
Some problems need a professional look in any season: large dead branches in the crown, cracks in the trunk, oozing sap or cankers, mushrooms at the base, or a tree that has started to lean. Service d'Arbres Brandse serves homeowners across the West Island and Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Call (438) 365-5410 or ask for a free estimate.