However, you can prune shrubs year-round. Summer is as good a time as any as long as you pay attention to the particular needs of the species and keep your landscape goals in mind. Sometimes, weather or other priorities make pruning challenging during the winter.
Most professionals advise against pruning after late July, because new growth that develops will not be hardened off enough to withstand the cold months and may simply die back over winter.
As with all summer pruning, make sure plants are well hydrated beforehand, prune lightly, and be aware that exposing previously shaded foliage can make them susceptible to scorch. Avoid pruning in hot direct sun and/or on high temperature days to prevent heat stress to plants and gardeners alike.
Summer prune timing
This is normally around the last week of July or early August. If done too early, the branches regrow leaving soft unripe wood that won't survive too many frosts. If pruned too late, the pruning wound has less time to 'heal' again resulting in winter die-back.
Spring flowering trees should be pruned after flowers have dropped. To avoid the introduction of disease pathogens to oaks and elms, avoid pruning between April 15 and October 15.
Generally, pruning trees in the summer is not recommended. During the summer months, most trees are still very active and growing. Trimming during this time could discourage new growth for the next season. Ideally, the season when you should prune trees is winter, when the tree is dormant.
Pruning promotes better flowering
Pruning in summer removes masses of soft, nitrogen-rich growth, and if repeated every year, will gradually allow flower-promoting potash to build up in the plant.
Don't prune too late in northern regions.
In areas with cold winters, avoid pruning after the middle of August.
Shrubs can be trimmed in summer, but avoid trimming spring flowering shrubs which have aready grown shoots for the next spring because this will reduce flowering the following year.
Depending on your environment, fruit trees can be pruned when dormant either in the summer, or in the winter a month or two before spring. In general it is a bad idea to prune during rainy weather, as this adds to the chances of fungal issues in your tree.
August is an excellent month for pruning many shrubs and trees in the landscape, just ahead of the fall growth spurt. It's also a perfect time for pruning backyard fruit trees for size control. Removing excess growth now instead of waiting until January will help keep fruit trees smaller.
PRUNING: Generally it is safe to prune most trees in mid-summer, from roughly mid-July to mid-August to be more specific. However, you may want to pause pruning during an extreme heat event, including right before and right after an extreme event, so consult the weather forecast as part of your pruning plan.
Shrubs that bloom in summer or fall, only on new growth, should be pruned in winter after the first freeze or in spring before the ground gets warm enough to start growth. Shrubs that produce ornamental fruits should be pruned after the fruit drops or before growth begins in early spring (so wintertime).
During hot, dry weather
Much like us, plants get stressed when they are dehydrated. Robbing them of their reserves of moisture by pruning away foliage can cause death.
The 1/3 rule for pruning shrubs refers to the practice of cutting about 1/3 of wood or a branch. This approach is applied to fully established shrubs and small trees. This is done at this stage since the established shrubs and plants are past their transplant shock.
Most plants are pruned in winter, when dormant, but there are exceptions. Cherry and plum trees, for example, are susceptible to silver leaf disease, and should therefore be pruned in summer when the risk of infection is reduced. Likewise, most spring-flowering shrubs should be pruned immediately after flowering.
Spring Is Best For Trimming Boxwoods
They are at least 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide. They are very old and we don't want to get rid of them." Other readers also want to know how to prune big boxwoods at their homes. Fortunately, boxwoods can be pruned any time but late summer and early fall.
Late spring, early fall, or winter (when the hedges are fully dormant) are the best times for pruning hedges. Don't prune hedges during very hot, dry weather, and prune well before your first frost date.
Prune all evergreens, except pine, before new growth starts in the spring or during the semidormant period in mid-summer. When pruning, follow the general branching pattern to maintain the natural shape. Remove dead, diseased, or broken branches anytime.
However, you can prune shrubs year-round. Summer is as good a time as any as long as you pay attention to the particular needs of the species and keep your landscape goals in mind. Sometimes, weather or other priorities make pruning challenging during the winter.
This is usually late July or early August for pears and mid- to late August for apples. However, the exact time varies depending on when the new shoots stop growing and terminal buds forms at the branch tips (image shows a terminal bud).
To avoid certain diseases, pruning in the late winter is especially great. Avoid Oak Wilt disease by pruning oaks between November and March. You should never prune your oaks between April and October. Prune apple trees between February and late-April.
Trees that Benefit from Summer Pruning
Some people prefer a summertime prune for these trees because they typically ooze sap when pruned in winter and early spring. Trees with dead branches: If you spot dead, broken, or dying limbs, you can remove those at any time.
Not pruning your plants can result in weak or dead limbs.
As a result, it can cause further damage to your plants. Pruning helps to remove those weakened or dead branches, improving the overall health of the plant. It also stimulates new growth and encourages the development of strong, healthy branches.
Rain immediately fol- lowing pruning could wash pathogens into the pruning wounds, so it is better to play it safe and wait for the rain to pass. Pruning wound sealants, com- monly tar or wax-based products, should not be used.