A Seasonal Tree Care Checklist for Maine Property Owners

Owning a property in Maine is rewarding- but it comes with its fair share of responsibilities. From home repairs to gardening to tree care, the To-Do List can feel endless. While we can’t patch your  roof or plant your flowers, here at Maine Treekeepers LLC we’re your trusted experts when it comes  to everything trees 

Whether it’s thoughtful pruning, battling invasive pests, or strategic removals, every season in Maine offers the perfect opportunity to care for your trees. Let’s walk through a seasonal checklist for  smart, responsible tree care in Maine. 

Winter Tree Care in Maine 

Dormancy is opportunity 

Winter is the most underrated -yet ideal- time for major tree work. With trees in dormancy, the risk  of pest, diseases, and stress from open wounds is minimal. 

• Heavy Pruning  

Winter is the best time for heavy structural and corrective pruning. This involves removing  interfering or crossing branches, thinning out dense areas, and shortening long leads back to  lateral branches. Done correctly, it encourages strong, healthy growth come spring. 

• Crown Reduction 

Crown reduction unlike topping is a technique used making educated cuts to remove height  from the top of the tree, reducing the risk of snow and ice damage. This helps prevent major  tears and scarring from windthrow (when high winds toppled trees due to leverage or  saturated soils). 

• Weight Reduction on Large Leads 

By selectively removing smaller branches from heavy, horizontal limbs, you reduce the  chance of those limbs snapping under the weight of Maines notorious snow and ice storms. 

• Shake Off Heavy Snow or Ice 

If a limb is sagging under heavy snow or ice, gently shake it loose to avoid breakage. Severely  bent branches may need trimming or cabling to prevent long term damage such as scarring  or trunk failure. 

• Tree Cabling 

Tree cabling is a proactive method of preserving valuable limbs or multi trunk trees that  might otherwise fail under snow, ice, or wind stress. It involves installing a high strength steel cable, either between branches or between a branch and the trunk to limit the  movement of limbs during severe weather. You should consider cabling if you have heavy,  horizontal limbs, split/multi-stemmed trunks or multiple leads.  

• Tree Removals 

Winter is the best time hands down to remove trees in Maine. 

There are many benefits to removing trees in the winter. 

1. It’s simpler to see the overall structure and remove limbs safely without dealing  with dense foliage.  
2. Clean-up is faster and less labor intensive, (which can save money). 
3. The frozen ground protects your lawn and landscapes, during the summer you  may damage your turf, compact the soil or tear up your gardens.  
4. There is also less risk to your septic system and sensitive areas with the winters  frozen hardened ground. This makes it much safer to drop trees without  damaging sensitive spots. 

Spring Tree Care in Maine 

Prepare for New Growth 

As Maines snow melts and buds start to swell, it’s time for rejuvenation. 

• Remove Winter Protection 

Take off your burlap wraps used to protect your trees from salt spray and plow damage.  Wrapping is helpful in fall, but removal in spring prevents moisture issues and disease. 

• Spring Cleanup 

Address winter storm damage- broken limbs, hanging branches, or minor wounds- while  your trees are still leafless and easy to inspect. 

• Fruit Tree Pruning 

Fruit trees require regular, thoughtful pruning to stay healthy, productive, and beautiful- in  late winter to early spring is the ideal time to do it in Maine. The reason you prune this time  of year this is because the trees are still dormant, so they experience less stress and are less  likely to attract pest or disease to open wounds. The tree is fully structurally visible without  leaves, making it easier to identify deadwood, weak branches, or areas that need reshaping.  By doing this you’re also encouraging better fruit production by removing unproductive or  overcrowded branches and allowing more sunlight and air flow into the canopy.

NOTE: If your apple tree is especially overgrown, consider heavy pruning in winter to  avoid stressing the tree during spring’s active growth. 

• Remove Brown Tail Moth Nests 

When looking for brown tail they will appear as a dense, white, silken webs wrapped tightly  around the tips of branches the nest are about the size of a closed fist to a softball, though  some may be larger. Inside these webs, the caterpillars overwinter in clusters- sometimes  dozens to hundreds and a single nest. Before these nest hatch and shed irritating hairs, we  use long reach snips to carefully cut them out of the tree.  

• Tree injections with Insecticide (TreeAzin)  

At Maine Treekeepers LLC, tree health is our top priority- one of our best tools for  safeguarding valuable trees is TreeAzin, a systemic, organic based insecticide derived from  the seeds of the neem tree, applied through trunk injections, TreeAzin is absorbed into the  tree’s vascular system, protecting it from destructive pest without harming beneficial insects  or wildlife

 

1. Browntail Moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) – An invasive moth from Europe whose larva are notorious for their toxic, barbed hairs  that cause severe skin rashes and respiratory irritation in humans. They appear dark  brown with two distinctive orange dots on their back and white Tufts along their sides. They feed aggressively on tree foliage in the spring causing defoliation, stress,  and decline in host trees the hairs remain toxic crap to three years.

2. Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planippin)- A small slender emerald green, invasive  beetle about 1/2 an inch long, originating from Asia. Responsible for the mass  die off of Ash trees across North America. The larva tunnel under the bark,  destroying the trees phloem and disrupting water and nutrients flow, this  girdling effect kills branches from the top down within 2-5 years of infestation. Additional Resources.

 

 

 

2. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae)- A tiny, aphid-like insect that feeds on  the sap of Eastern Hemlocks, threatening to decimate Maines Hemlock stands,  originating from East Asia. The adelgid suck sap from young twigs, causing needle loss,  reduced growth, and eventually death within 4 to 10 years if untreated. Keep an eye out  for white, woolly sacks on the underside of hemlock branches.  
3. Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar, formally Gyspy Moth) – An aggressive, invasive  moth species with broad host preferences, feeding on over 300 trees in shrub species, originating from Europe and Asia. These hairy 2.5-inch-long  caterpillars, with distinctive blue and red spots along their back feed variously on leaves, leading to severe defoliation, canopy stress, and tree decline, particularly when outbreaks persist for multiple seasons.

5. Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) – A disruptive defoliator of hardwood trees,  shrubs and fruit trees, originating from Europe. This light green to brownish, white stripped caterpillar will hatch early in the spring and burrow into buds to feed on  emerging leaves and flowers, causing heavy defoliation.

   

6. Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum)- They are black with a white stripe down the back, blue spots along the sides and the fuzzy bodies grow  about 2 inches long. Though not typically deadly to mature trees, heavy infestations weakened trees, defoliate branches, and cause unsightly damage.  These caterpillars build conspicuous, silken tent like webs in the branch crotches  of trees like wild cherry, apple, and crab apple, usually on the sunniest side. The  tents get larger as the caterpillars grow providing shelter during cool nights and rainy  weather.

Summer Tree Care in Maine

Monitor and maintain 

With everything leafed out, it’s the best time to visually assess your canopies condition. 

• Canopy Thinning 

This is the removal of congested areas to allow dappled light and air flow. This reduces the  risk of upper branches breaking in heavy summer storms. 

• Interfering Branch Removal 

Interfering branches are limbs that rub against, crossover, or grow too close to other  branches within a tree’s canopy. These branches compete for space, sunlight, and resources if left unchecked, they can lead to poor tree structure, disease, and even physical failure. 

• Deadwooding 

Deadwooding is the selective removal of dead, dying, or broken branches from a tree  canopy. While it can technically be done anytime of year, summer is ideal because with the  tree fully leafed out, it’s much easier to spot where the growth has stopped and which limbs  are no longer viable. 

• Weight Reduction & Structural Support 

Weight reduction pruning involves selectively removing portions of a tree’s canopy- typically  the outermost branch tips and smaller, excess branches-to reduce the amount of weight a  limb is carrying. It’s especially important on large horizontal branches (called leads) and trees  exposed to wind or snow load. Some trees, especially older, mature, or multi trunked trees,  can develop structural weaknesses that increase the risk of limb failure. Cabling and bracing  are non-invasive, proven methods of providing extra support without removing cherished  limbs or altering the trees natural appearance

• Fertilization and Aeration 

We aerate the soil by drilling holes approximately about 6 inches into the ground- near the  root zone or drip zone and proceed to fill them with organic fertilizer. This breaks up  compacted soil and provides essential nutrients back into the ground.  

• Vista Pruning 

Vista pruning is the selective removal or thinning of branches to open up and frame  desirable views whether it’s a stunning ocean horizon, a mountain ridge, a favorite pond, or  just your backyard fire pit. Unlike crown reduction or over pruning, which can harm a tree’s  health and appearance, Vista pruning is carefully planned to balance aesthetics with tree  vitality. 

• Planting New Trees 

At Maine Treekeepers LLC, tree preservation is the heart of our work- and that means not  just caring for existing trees, but thoughtfully planting new ones to continue Maines natural  beauty for generations to come. Spring is the ideal time to plant trees in Maine, with moist  

soil, cooler temperatures, and longer days giving new roots the best chance to establish  before the heat of summer. 

Fall Tree Care in Maine 

Prep for Dormacy 

As the leaves fall, it’s time to protect your trees from Maines harsh winters. 

• Brown Tail Moth Nest Removal 

Cut out nest while the caterpillars are inactive to reduce next year’s outbreak. 

• Wrap Vulnerable Trees 

Project young trees and those near roads from salty spray, wind burn, and snowplow damage  with breathable burlap wraps. 

• Hazard Check 

As the seasons turn and the first nor’easter isn’t far off, fall is the ideal time for your  comprehensive hazard check on your properties trees. At Maine Treekeepers LLC we know  how unforgiving Maines winters can be- and how easily one overlooked limb or weakened  tree can turn into costly damage when heavy snow, ice or high winds roll in.  NOTE: Keep an eye out for leaning trees, broken or hanging limbs, severe bends or sagging  branches, dead or dying trees, branches touching your roof allowing pests to get in and split  trunks.

Partner with Maine Treekeepers LLC 

At Maine Treekeepers LLC, we care for your trees and your property like there our own.  From thoughtful pruning to organic treatments and hazard removals, we offer year-round tree care tailored to Maines unique seasons.