Tree Care in Wilmington, DE: Protect Trees When Adding Holiday Lighting

Right after Thanksgiving is a common time in the holiday season for homeowners to begin holiday decorations, and many of them love to string lights around their trees. Did you know that holiday lighting displays can be used for more practical uses than simply festive outdoor lighting and decor? Properly wrapping certain types of outdoor lights around your tree trunks and large branches is one method of winter tree care in Wilmington, DE to keep vulnerable trees warm and protected from frost damage. The following is a quick guide to tree holiday lighting: what works best and how to protect your trees from damage while integrating those lights into your winter tree landscape.

How to Add Holiday Lighting to Trees

1.Get the right lights. The best type of holiday lighting to use around your trees if you are attempting to warm them is the kind with non-LED light bulbs, as LED light sets emit too little heat. Older lights are typically good for this task. Be sure to choose a plug-in option with a timer and ample extensions.

If you are only considering ease of use, the best type of holiday lights to use around your trees is rope lighting, consisting of LED mini lights that are ensnared in the plastic rope. This style of exterior lighting is easy to bend and wrap around your trees and the waterproofing provides durability and safety. Net lights are also great for shrubs and evergreen trees. LED lights present less of a fire hazard and can be found with more natural colors, like warm white, than were available a few years ago.

2.Begin high and wrap down. Start with one end of the strand of lights set high in a crook between the tree trunk and a large branch. Use a large zip tie to secure this end to the branch and then, once secured, begin wrapping the lights slowly down the tree to its base, securing periodic loops in place with zip lines on other large branches or similar spots. Take care to avoid wrapping wiring, zip ties, and lights too tightly around your live trees as this can damage the bark and sensitive tissue underneath.

Whether you are trying to protect your trees or just decorate for the holidays, you will want to be careful to protect your trees from damage. A few tree holiday lighting tips to keep in mind are:

• Avoid compacting the soil around trees.
• As already mentioned, avoid wrapping too tightly and constricting trunks or branches. If you damage the tree, especially in the winter, you will make it more susceptible to disease.
• Use tree lights that are rated for outdoor use and in good, high-quality condition, especially the wiring.
• Avoid using too many strands of lights together or using extension cords unrated for outside use.
• Avoid stapling or putting holes in the tree. These can damage the trunk or limbs and open the tree up to infection. Instead use tree clips.

Contact Stein Tree Service for More Tips on Winter Tree Care in Wilmington, DE

Tree holiday lighting is a festive way to enjoy your trees in the winter. For more information on how to protect your trees and other plants when the cold and snow arrive this winter, contact us today. We are dedicated to excellent tree care in Wilmington, DE and surrounding areas and offer a variety of tree care services including trimming, pruning, removal, and emergency tree removal.

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