Saskatchewanians are once again allowed to prune their elm trees after four months of not being able to.
From April 1st to August 31st, residents are strongly discouraged from cutting elms due to the high risk of trees becoming infected with Dutch Elm Disease, which is a type of fungus spread by elm bark beetles.
According to a news release from the Saskatchewan government, residents who prune their elms outside of the ban will help trees resist diseases of all kinds. In addition to pruning, it’s strongly recommended that removing all dead wood and branches will make streets and yards less appealing to the elm back beetle. Those who remove trees as part of a business are required to complete a provincially approved training program
While the elm tree pruning ban is up, it’s still important to be vigilant while cutting trees. Common signs of Dutch Elm Disease include wilting leaves, leaves turning yellow, and leaves may turn brown but not fall off if trees are infected later in the summer.
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