Roadside Tree Maintenance

The one sure thing about trees is that they always grow towards the light, the open space. This may work fine for the tree but it works against us humans in a lot of ways. Trees along the roadways are always growing inward, toward the light, which is unfortunately, also toward the road. Many times, in this situation, they also take on a natural lean, which is never ideal for any tree. We’ve all pulled up to an intersection at some point, only to find that you can’t see clearly down the road, to see if any traffic is coming. In the summer, deciduous tree limbs, weighted down with heavy leaves, can hide street signs. In winter, trees and limbs, weighted down with heavy ice & snow can hang down into the travel lane, slapping school busses and plow trucks as they pass by. Even your driveway or camp road is vulnerable to limbs and brush, growing inward, threatening to scratch your car or break your antenna. If the snow is not too deep, winter is a great time to do roadside tree maintenance. Most tree companies are “out straight” in the summer months tending to seasonal camp owners and locals alike, but winter poses many obstacles to doing typical tree services. Roadside trees are easily accessible in winter and local tree companies are usually more apt to “work a good deal” at that time of year to keep their crew working. So, this might be a good time to take a closer look at the trees along your driveway, your camp road or your town road to see if they need any work. Pass the word along to whoever is in charge that this might be a good time to take care of any problems.