The smartest time to work on your trees is when they are in their dormant stage. In the 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 stopping its growth.
When you make cuts to 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.
Good Time For Tree Pruning?
Pruning is also easier when the ground is harder. The frozen (or near-frozen) soil is a sturdier base upon which tree trimming professionals can climb. Also, having the leaves off the tree makes the shape of the branches easier to see. It is a simpler view of the branches that simplifies the tree trimmer’s job in deciding which branches and limbs should be pruned.
If you think your trees need trimming – and chances are high that they do require at least some degree of pruning – then you should act quickly before the spring thaws begin to kick in. The winter may not be ideal for some activities, but it is certainly perfect weather for pruning a tree.
The late fall works well too. Once many of the leaves have fallen from the branches, the tree has let you know that it is entering its dormant stage for that year.
