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. There is less impact on the surrounding landscape and our crew can easily see what they're doing while all the leaves are gone.
There is never a bad time to remove dead, damaged or diseased branches. But most trees benefit from pruning in mid to late winter. Pruning during dormancy encourages new growth as soon as the weather begins to warm. The lack of leaves after autumn allows you to easily identify branches and limbs requiring removal.
Your Tree Will Look Better in Spring
Any branches cut back during the winter will be able to recover quickly in spring with new growth. This will also minimize the amount of time you'll spend looking at a plant that looks like a bunch of sticks after rejuvenation pruning.
The answer is: do not trim your trees in the fall! Trimmed trees may look neater to you, but dead or diseased trees are not very neat at all, and that's what you are risking by cutting back trees that are slipping into dormancy. Pruning trees stimulates them to produce new growth – it's meant to.
Any gardening expert will tell you, (contrary to what you may believe) that pruning encourages new growth just when the plant is trying to go dormant and new growth doesn't have enough time to harden before the first frost and freezing temperatures hit. Pruning at this time of year will severely weaken the plants.
Municipalities and homeowners often remove the lower limbs for pedestrian and vehicular clearance or to let the sun shine in for grass to grow. Mature trees, especially evergreens, benefit when healthy lower branches are left intact. Removing large limbs can increase the risk of decay.
Maples. Along with birches, elms, and other so-called "bleeder" trees, pruning maples in winter can lead to a great deal of sap. Wait until summer to avoid a possible mess.
You will want to prune your trees when the temperatures are going to be fairly constant for at least a couple of weeks. If you trim your trees when the temperature is 60 degrees, and overnight, the temperature drops below freezing, your trees could be damaged.
When is Late Winter? Late winter is 4 to 6 weeks before spring thaw begins. This could be any time in January to May, depending on your climate. Use your average last frost date and count back.
Differences Between Pruning and Trimming
Webb said pruning typically involves removing dead or diseased wood and thinning out stems and branches to improve the overall health and appearance of a plant. On the other hand, trimming typically involves cutting back plant material for reasons other than health concerns.
Wait till after the leaves fall. Mild fall weather may have you thinking about pruning shrubs and trees. But it's better to wait till late winter, or, at least, after leaves have fallen.
An improper cut like a flush cut (cutting too close to the trunk) or a stub cut (cutting too far from the trunk) can cause irreversible damage to a tree. A flush cut removes the branch collar and leaves a large wound in the side of the tree that won't heal properly.
How often should you trim trees? Young trees should be inspected and trimmed every 1-5 years. Mature trees may benefit from a yearly inspection with perhaps a five- to 10-year cycle of trimming and pruning. Fruit trees may need to be trimmed annually.
It increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Ground water level also gets lowered. Deforestation disturbs the balance in nature. If cutting of trees continues, rainfall and the fertility of the soil will decrease.
Pruning Too Early
If you prune too early in the season, there's a good chance you'll snip the buds right off their branches, which means no flowers in the spring. Before you cut, do a little research, like with our pruning guide, or just wait to trim until the plant has finished blooming for the year.
Late winter is a good time to prune most plants. Because plants and their pests are dormant this time of year, pruning cuts can be made without the risk of pests and pathogens entering the tree through the wound.
Here's when it's time to put down the pruners: In the fall. As your tree starts dropping its leaves and gets ready for winter, the last thing you want to do is prune. This only wakes the plant back up and tells it to start growing again.
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.
Never prune too early in the winter, as incisions can dry out if the temperature drops well below freezing. When pruning, first prune out dead and diseased branches, especially those caused by the winter's snow and ice. Unwanted lower branches on all evergreen shrubs and trees should also be removed in late winter.
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.
It is best to wait until the trees have been exposed to freezing temperatures and until the leaves have begun to turn yellow before beginning early dormant pruning. Keep a watchful eye on the long range forecast and suspend pruning when a severe drop in temperature is forecast.
Crown Raising (Fig. 4) Crown raising is the practice of removing branches from the bottom of the crown of a tree to provide clearance for pedestrians, vehicles, buildings, lines of site, or to develop a clear stem for timber production.
If a tree repeatedly loses too much of its canopy at one time, it can become weak or even die from the stress. That's why you shouldn't trim more than 25% of a tree's canopy at one time. Cutting the branch collar can also be a nasty error.
Trees will grow back rapidly and they don't slow until they reach about their original size. It only takes up to a few years for that to happen. The new growth that rapidly ascends from latent buds just below each cut is only anchored in the outermost layers of the parent branch.