Short Answer: Late Fall, Winter, or Very Early Spring
The smartest time to work on your trees is when they are in their dormant stage, meaning they aren’t actively growing, producing fruit, or maintaining leaves. In the late fall and winter, most trees go into a dormant stage, and their growth pauses. It is comparable to a bear hibernating for the winter — the tree conserves energy by dropping its leaves (for a deciduous tree) and stopping its growth.
When you prune a tree during its dormant stage, you will not affect its bloom potential for the spring and summer seasons. If you cut after new growth has begun in the spring, then you might stunt the tree’s growth for that year, or change the path of the tree’s growth – possibly altering it from its ideal shape.
Additionally, insects are dormant in the late fall and winter, and this time of year does not provide ideal growth conditions for many bacteria and fungi. Trimming in the late fall and early winter minimizes the potential for the wounds created during pruning acting as an entrance point for pests or disease.
Good Time for Tree Pruning
Pruning is also easier when the ground is harder. The frozen (or near-frozen) soil creates a sturdier base upon which tree trimming professionals can stabilize their ladders. Also, for leafy trees, having the leaves off the tree makes the shape and condition of the branches easier to see. It is easier to view the branches, and this simplifies the tree trimmer’s job in deciding which branches and limbs should be pruned.
All of this being said, the second-best time to trim your trees is anytime. We often see homeowners putting off trimming their trees because it isn’t the “ideal” time … only to not have it done during the ideal time, either. Yes, winter is the best time – but better to do your tree trimming during another part of the year than to skip it entirely. If you haven’t had your trees trimmed in several years, better to call and have it done now than to keep missing the “perfect” time.
If you think your trees need trimming – and chances are high that they do require at least some degree of pruning each year – then you should call your local tree service for an appointment. The winter may not be ideal for some activities, but it is certainly perfect weather for pruning a tree. Here at Tree Images, we’re ready to help you take care of your trees (and if you REALLY want to wait for winter, you can also make an appointment ahead of time)!
