Village East Neighborhood

WHEN SHOULD I PRUNE MY TREES?

Apr 17, 2006

Tree pruning can be performed year-round. Dead limbs can be removed at any time of the year. Live branches are best removed in winter. This allows the trees to replace lost branches and foliage during the next growing season. It also allows the wounds to the tree to close and seal faster.

Pruning is best kept to a minimum during the growing season so as not to remove too much of the tree?’s ability to produce food. Seasonal trimming of trees can be beneficial for disease control, aesthetics, or for enhancing flower and fruit production.

Most deciduous trees can be trimmed while in leaf. Maples, walnuts, and birch should be trimmed while in leaf, although American elms should be trimmed while dormant. Trees that do better when trimmed in winter are crabapple, apple, hawthorn, mountain ash, pear, cherry, and plum trees. Crabapples and other fruit trees are susceptible to fire blight (a bacterial disease) and should always be pruned with equipment that is sterilized between cuts.

Most evergreens can be trimmed at any time of the year except during subzero weather. Junipers and arborvitae should to be trimmed just prior to new growth emergence and then again in late June or early July. Spruce and fir should be pruned when their buds are dormant. The cuts should be just above a side bud or side branch. When pruning an evergreen, avoid pruning the top leader as it often results in a multiple top that not only destroys the natural shape. it makes the tree prone to storm damage. Frequent shearing of evergreens can create a similar effect by encouraging dense outer growth that shades out the inner growth. Call Forestry at 303-739-7177 for information.