Late Summer Pruning (August-September) Few plants are pruned this time of year because pruning encourages new growth that does not have time to harden off before winter.
Don't prune too late in northern regions.
In areas with cold winters, avoid pruning after the middle of August.
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.
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. Instead, trim them immediately after they have finished flowering but before new shoots have begun to grow.
It's generally best to trim bushes in the late winter or early spring, before new growth begins but after the coldest part of winter has passed. This timing allows you to shape the bushes and remove dead or damaged branches while minimizing stress on the plants.
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. Not to worry.
Pruning in autumn and winter could potentially damage the plant, as it can unbalance the root to shoot ratio during a period when it is too cold to regrow. The best time to prune is after flowering.
Late Summer Pruning (August-September) Few plants are pruned this time of year because pruning encourages new growth that does not have time to harden off before winter.
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.
That's especially for oak and elm trees! If possible, you should not prune oak trees at all during the summer to reduce the chance of oak wilt, which is a potentially fatal disease, and do not prune elm trees at all during the summer to reduce the chance of Dutch elm disease, both of which are fatal diseases.
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.
Generally, the best time to prune or trim trees and shrubs is during the winter months. From November through March, most trees are dormant which makes it the ideal time for the following reasons: Trees are less susceptible to insects or disease.
Tree pruning involves the removal of live branches, as well as dead, diseased, and damaged branches for the health of the tree, while tree trimming only involves the removal of branches that interfere in some way.
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.
Weakened Growth: Late pruning can cause the tree to produce weak new branches that are more susceptible to breaking. Increased Risk of Disease: Cuts made late in the season might not heal quickly, leaving the tree vulnerable to diseases and pests that can enter through the wounds.
Pruning during the growing season always stimulates new growth. During summer's heat, having to produce that ill-timed new flush of growth greatly stresses a tree. Pruning in the fall is even worse as it prevents the tree from going into a natural dormancy. The exception is heavily damaged, disease or dead wood.
Fall. We continue pruning shrubs in early fall. But we stop by late September to allow plants to put their energy into toughening up for the winter. We also want to avoid cutting off next spring's blooms.
Do not prune deciduous shrubs in late summer. Pruning shrubs in August or early September may encourage a late flush of growth. This new growth may not harden sufficiently before the arrival of cold weather and be susceptible to winter injury.
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.
Remove dead limbs.
Summer tree pruning plays an important role in the removal of dead, damaged, and diseased tree limbs. Any limb that has the potential to cause damage or stress to your tree should be removed.
But here in zone 9 (Sonoma County CA) August is a time to prune many plants to encourage a great showing in September and October! August is very much like February and March for pruning. Pruning now means the plants will have time to fill in with new foliage and flowers before frost sets in at the end of October.
The rule on fall pruning is, generally speaking, don't prune in fall. But there are a few trimming tasks you can take on with confidence, provided you approach the job with self-control and a plan. The timing window for these pruning chores is from Thanksgiving to the New Year.
During hot, dry weather
Robbing them of their reserves of moisture by pruning away foliage can cause death.
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.
If you notice that your trees aren't growing as well as they should be or are losing foliage, it's possible that you've pruned them too much. Additionally, an increase in interior sprouting indicates over-pruning, which is when they grow sprouts internally rather than on the tips of limbs.