When it comes to caring for your trees, pruning is often the most confusing aspect. Not only do you need to worry about how to prune, you also need to worry about when to prune. It's the when that can be the most difficult to understand. Luckily, once you get the hang of it, pruning your trees becomes much easier. Here's a quick guide that will help you make heads or tails of the mysteries surrounding seasonal tree pruning.
Go Full-Bore in the Winter
If you have trees in your yard that need to be pruned, winter is when you'll want to go full bore. Growth has come to a standstill, and it's time to get them ready for dormancy. All you need to do is wait until the coldest part of the winter has passed. That way, you avoid damaging the tender fibers that will be exposed once you prune away the branches. Winter pruning ensures a nice, thick growth of new branches once spring arrives.
Think Slow and Steady in the Spring
When it comes to pruning during the spring, you want to take a slow and steady approach. The goal of springtime pruning is to increase the number of blossoms you'll get next year. If you have trees that blossom during the summer, you'll want to prune those in early spring. If you've got trees that blossom during early spring, be sure to prune them as soon as the last of the blossoms fall to the ground. This type of pruning will ensure a thick growth of blossoms next year.
Go for Growth Control in the Summer
Summer pruning should be done with an eye towards growth control. If you've got branches that just aren't doing what they should, it's best to remove them before they have a chance to mature. Also, if you've got branches that are showing signs of heat damage or pest infestation during the summer months, those should be pruned away as soon as possible. However, all other pruning should be left for later.
Think No Pruning at All in the Fall
When it comes to your trees, fall should be a time when there's no pruning at all. You might not realize this, but trees don't heal as quickly during the fall. Not only that, but tree fungus seems to thrive during the fall months, which means your trees will be susceptible to damage and disease if you prune them during the fall. Go ahead and postpone pruning until winter.
If pruning your trees proves to be too much or a burden, hire a tree care company like Alley Tree Removal to do it for you.
After thinking about how to keep some of the flowers in my yard alive, it occurred to me that we had some real problems on our hands. For starters, we had a bunch of overgrown trees that needed to be dealt with. The second thing we had to take care of was the fact that we were really behind on basic yard care. I started talking with friends and neighbors about what they did to make things better, and they recommended a local tree service company. After they came out and made some changes, my yard was gorgeous. Learn more about tree care on my blog.