Did you happen to leave up Christmas lights from 2015? I did! I finally pulled them down this weekend, and I’m glad they weren’t left up an extra year. The little twist tie was just starting to dig into the stem a little bit. 

Remember, every little wire, strap, zip tie, cable or rope that we leave around the tree stem or even a branch will eventually girdle the tree.  It might take 2 years, or 20 years, but eventually the problem will be obvious.  Take the time now to check over your trees – especially those that were planted in the last few years – to remove all wires and straps.  The same can be said of ties that hold Christmas lights onto a tree, or a strap that holds a tree stand onto a tree.  Unless those ties and straps are removed, the trees will run into problems. Check out the photos below to see the damage.

-Joe Zeleznik