Elm pruning ban starts April 1

To prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease, burn, bury or chip properly pruned elm wood and elm firewood by March 31.

To help keep Alberta Dutch elm disease (DED) free, the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED) encourages everyone to pay attention to the provincial elm pruning ban between April 1 and September 30, 2022.

To help eliminate beetle habitat, it is important to properly prune all dead wood out of elms and dispose of all pruned elm wood and elm firewood by burning, burying or chipping by March 31. Stored elm wood can harbour the elm bark beetles that can carry DED.

“Elm bark beetles are responsible for spreading the deadly DED fungus. They feed on healthy elms and breed in dead and dying elm trees,” says Janet FeddesCalpas, STOPDED executive director.

“If elm trees are pruned during the pruning ban period, beetles that are active at this time can be attracted to the scent of the fresh wound and possibly infect an otherwise healthy elm with DED. Once an elm tree is infected with DED, it will die within that year.”

Having trees pruned properly is important. Every year improper pruning kills or ruins many trees. Pruning like any other skill requires knowledge and should be done by a professional certified arborist who can determine what type of pruning is necessary to maintain or improve the health, appearance, and safety of the trees.

Topping or removing an excessive amount of live wood is not recommended on any variety of trees and will weaken the tree’s structure.

For more information, call the STOPDED hotline at 1-877-837ELMS or see Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease. To find an ISA Certified Arborist, see International Society of Arboriculture Prairie Chapter.