Best Time Of Year To Prune Trees? Dead, broken or damaged limbs can be removed at any time, but pruning is best done before the buds grow in spring.
The worst time to cut down a tree is in spring, shortly after it has sprouted, and the best time is in the summer months.
For Texas Tree Surgeons, cutting is one of the most common services we provide and is critical to maintaining the health and safety of our urban forests. The tree will have already used all its energy for new growth and will not recover well enough to be pruned even during a heatwave.
WHY IS IT BEST TO TRIM TREES IN THE FALL AND WINTER?
Entering a dormant state helps trees survive the winter cold, frost and ice, so it is critical to cut down trees at the right time to keep them healthy. The inner systems of the trees slow down as they prepare for hibernation, but not as much as the outer world.
When the weather cools, the water in the tree tissue begins to convert into starch, which protects cells and tissues from frost damage. During this rest period, trees can heal wounds caused by frost and pruning before the stressors of spring, such as diseases and insects, arrive.
But the right pruning in autumn and winter cannot compensate for the damage caused by the lack of moisture in the soil in the first months of spring and summer. While dormant trees can better cope with harmful pruning, the overall health of the tree can suffer during this time. Proper trimming is not only a question of timing, but also of technique, and that is important.
SHOULD CUTS BE SEALED OR PAINTED AFTER TRIMMING?
Closing and brushing the wound with a cut is no longer the best method for routine cuts. Sealing can interfere with the natural healing process of the tree and damage the skin.
This causes the tree to form a wound in the wood and removes itself without sealing, increasing its strength. When an oak has wilted, such as an old oak, pruning can be an important protective measure.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE A COMPANY WITH CERTIFIED ARBORISTS TO TRIM YOUR TREE?
In a yard with different tree species, there may be a number of pruning needs, and two trees of the same species planted side by side may react differently to their environment. A certified tree specialist will evaluate each tree to make the best recommendation for pruning, taking into account age, location, soil type and other factors. The expertise of an ISA-certified tree expert or another qualified tree expert is crucial to ensure proper care.
A good trim recommendation for each tree leads to the best possible result for the health and longevity of the tree as a whole. If pruned at the wrong time of year, it can suffer significantly if damaged or dead.
IS THERE A BEST TIME TO TRIM A PARTICULAR SPECIES OF TREE?
While it is generally good to prune trees in autumn and winter, it is important to be aware of the particular problems of certain species.
OAKS:
The best time to cut down oaks in Texas is in the fall and winter, according to the Texas Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Texas A & M University.
During the withering season of oaks from February to July, it is essential to avoid removing dead and broken branches. Live oaks typically change leaves in late winter, so it is better to cut them in late autumn and early winter.
MAPLES:
A maple is one of the few trees that take on color in Texas, and the best time to cut it down is in the fall and winter. Pruning after leaves in autumn is usually preferred, but pruning early in spring can lead to juice leaking from the cut-off pieces.
ELMS:
Elms are hardy native to Texas, and are best cut in autumn and winter to avoid leaking sap. Elm trees in autumn and spring, but it is usually the first that gets leaves and loses them, not the last, according to experts.
Elms tend to rot where large cuts are made, where badly – in is made and where a large cut has been made. In parts of North America where Dutch elm disease occurs, elms should be pruned in spring, and according to the Texas Department of Agriculture, conservative pruning is best combined with conservative pruning.
CRAPE MYRTLES:
Pruning in autumn leads to more flowers in spring, but pruning in late spring reduces the number of flowers in the following year. Crepe myrtle (Crepes myrtle) cut in late spring and early autumn and in summer and autumn in early spring.
Topping rapeseed syringe has never been a good practice, but for the health of your pitchfork, winter is the best time to cut with it.
YOU SHOULD NEVER TOP CRAPE MYRTLES
In a previous post, we discussed why topping rapeseed flowers is an inappropriate practice. This topping-out ceremony destroys the natural beauty of the tree and can make it more susceptible to disease and damage from heat waves.
BRADFORD PEARS:
Bradford onions can be cut safely at any time, but a proper structural cut when needed is very important, as their natural growth pattern often leads to weakness of the knuckle joints.
FRUIT TREES:
Fruit trees should be pruned in winter, but fruit trees should not be pruned and not immediately after flowering in early spring. The pruning of the fruit tree should have been done in winter and not in summer.
