Well, the short answer is: It’s based on why you prune.
You can remove dead wood and light prune any time of the year. Recognize that each tree species may differ. Follow these seasonal guidelines.
Winter Pruning
Practice pruning during the tree’s dormant period. If you desire a robust sprouting of new growth, do it in the spring. Wait until the winter chill had passed. Some species like pine and walnuts may “bleed” when there’s a seepage of sap. It would stop and won’t hurt the tree when new leaves appear.
Summer Pruning
I’ve asked one of our partners it… After it stopped growing for the season, prune new trees or branches or guide it by slowing it down. This way would minimize the leaves and the amount of produced food that goes to the roots says Frank, the owner at https://www.littlerocktreecare.com – tree service company based in Little Rock, Arkansas. After all, flawed branches or unseen limbs is another good reason to prune in the summer.
Flowering Trees Enhancement
If you want to enhance flowering, follow these two rules.
- Prune blooming trees with fading flowers in the spring.
- Flowering tree and shrubs in mid to late summer should be pruned during the winter time or early spring.
Don’t Prune in Fall
During the fall, diseased fungi could spread to the tree’s spores real slow on chipped wood. Store your shears in your garage.
Generally if you hire a company or an individual to do your pruning, a tree surgeon will most likely show up and there’s a reason why… They go through rigorous training which you can read more about here and often times carry a certification of an arborist.
8 Tips for Perfect Pruning
- Visualize and inspect the tree from top to bottom.
- Observe these Pruning Rules.
- Don’t cut more than 1/4th of the crown in any period.
- Trim the sides 1/3 smaller than the trunk’s circle.
- From the roots, don’t snip more than a third of the total height for most broad-leaved trees.
- With the bole, coax the branches to angle a-third off upright at the ten o’clock or two o’clock positions.
- Pinpoint the best spots for the tree and the branches. Prune to remove the bad branches to shape. Most trees should have a trunk.
- For an aesthetic design, don’t fret about those pruned snips. Tree painting doesn’t necessarily stop or reduce disease.
- Sharpen your tools. One-handed curved shears are recommended for young trees.
- Major jobs should be handled by a professional arborist. For tall trees, utilize a pruner.
- For massive limbs, trim the bark and ridge rollers. If too small, come in closer. No studs.
- Small branches can be shortened by cropping them by going sideways from a bud or another limb. Choose one that’ll blossom in your preferred direction. Make a clean and sharpened cut at a modest angle behind the shoot.
- Once completed, be sure to defend your newly pruned tree from animal attacks. Click here for more information and tips.
Do’s and Don’ts of Pruning:
DO
- Question your tree care company if they follow the American National Standard’s guidelines.
- Evaluate your trees for damage after bad weather.
- Keep in mind that correct pruning can extend the life of your tree.
Don’t
- Prune unless necessary
- Uproot more than 25% of foliage when it’s growing,
- Trim saplings unless it has bad branches.
- Go within 10 feet of a utility conductor.
- Snip branch collars or stubs.
- Use climbing spikes.
- Decorate the tree by coloring it
- Handle dangerous pruning jobs with ladders and chainsaw.
- Lion-tail the tree.
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