A South West tree year
Trees here run on a Mediterranean cycle — wet winters, long dry summers — and the jobs follow the same rhythm. Here is what each part of the year tends to bring.
Summer: limb drop and heat stress
January and February are when eucalypts shed. Marri in particular drops substantial limbs in hot, still weather with no wind to explain it, and it is the single most common cause of a summer callout in Bunbury, Busselton and inland. Anything parked or sat under a mature marri is exposed.
This is also when drought stress shows up. Thinning canopies, leaf browning and epicormic shoots along the trunk all say the tree is working hard. It is the wrong season for heavy cutting — a suddenly exposed trunk will sunburn — so note it and plan the work for winter unless something is actually dangerous.
Autumn: the recovery window
The first rains come and the pressure comes off. This is a good time for removals while the ground is still firm enough for machines, and for stump grinding before the soil gets too wet to work.
It is also the time to look honestly at anything that failed over summer. A tree that has lost a major limb has a torn union and an unbalanced canopy, and it will not fix itself.
Winter: fronts, saturated ground and root failure
Winter is when trees go over rather than break. Deep lows crossing Geographe Bay bring sustained wind onto ground that is already saturated, and the failures are at the root plate — most commonly shallow-rooted peppermint in coastal sand at Dunsborough, Busselton and Australind.
The warning signs are worth learning: a lean that has changed recently, soil cracking or heaving on the windward side of the trunk, or a visible gap opening at the base. Any of those should be looked at promptly. See emergency storm work for what to do when something has already come down.
Late winter is also the best pruning window of the year. The tree is about to grow, wound response is good, and crews are not yet booked out.
Spring: the firebreak deadline
From September, shires publish their annual firebreak and fuel-load notices with compliance generally required from around the start of November. Every rural and semi-rural block in the region is working to the same date, and crews are booked solid through October.
This is the point to have already dealt with the limbs over the roof, the ladder fuels between the grass and the canopy, and the perimeter break. The firebreaks and hazard reduction page sets out what that involves; the FAQ covers shire-by-shire differences.
A short quarterly checklist
- Walk the block and look up. Grey, bare branches in a live canopy are deadwood and should come out.
- Check the base of every large tree for fungal brackets, frass and soil movement.
- Look at what the canopy touches — roof, gutters, solar, power service to the house.
- Note anything leaning that was not leaning last year.
- On rural blocks, re-read the current year's firebreak notice rather than last year's.
If any of that turns something up, ring (08) 9785 0207 or send the details. Pricing is explained in the cost guide, the full service list is here, and the areas we cover are here.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year for tree work in the South West?
Late winter to early spring for most eucalypt pruning and reduction, before the growth flush and before the firebreak rush books out every crew in the region. Avoid heavy cutting in the middle of a hot dry summer on a stressed tree. Removals and storm work happen whenever they need to.
How can I tell if a tree is stressed?
Look for thinning in the upper canopy, dieback at the branch tips, unseasonal leaf drop, epicormic shoots erupting along the trunk, and fine sawdust or frass at the base. Any one of those can be normal; several together on the same tree means it is worth a proper look before summer.
Do eucalypts really drop limbs on still days?
Yes, and it is one of the more unnerving things about living with them. Sudden limb failure typically happens in hot, dry, still conditions rather than in wind, and marri is a well-known offender in the South West. It is the main reason deadwooding and reduction over driveways and outdoor areas is worth doing before summer.