Why Late Winter Is The Perfect Time For Tree Trimming

Man hanging cutting trees

Removing dead and damaged branches from your trees is essential to having a healthy tree, but it’s better to trim them in late winter. It’s also easier because the absence of leaves after Autumn helps you see branches needing removal. We’ll get into all of that.

When Is It a Bad Time to Trim a Tree?

Certain times of the year aren’t the best for pruning unless a branch is severely damaged or diseased. It stimulates growth if you trim the components during the growing season. The heat during the summer can cause stress for a tree because of the new burst of growth. The fall is even worse for pruning because the tree is prevented from entering a natural dormancy.

A few more points on that:

  • November through March is the best time to prune trees.
  • Trees are less susceptible to insects or disease during the colder months.
  • The winter can kill off any pruning that you’ve done in Autumn.

On that last point, pruning before winter could eventually damage and disfigure the tree when the cold weather hits.

What Trees Should Not Be Pruned in the Winter?

During the dormant season, evergreens such as boxwoods, hollies, and others should be pruned (as noted earlier, from November to the end of February). Also, trees that produce fruit and berries should be pruned after the berries fall or birds pluck them off.

Here are a few examples of trees that should not be pruned in the winter:

  • Magnolia
  • Dogwood
  • Cherry
  • Pear
  • Redbud

Those trees should not be pruned during the winter. Instead, they should be trimmed immediately after they bloom in early spring.

Can a Tree Be Damaged by Pruning It?

If you over-prune your trees, you may not see much growth in the spring. Over time, pruning your tree too much can kill it. For example, during the winter months, it can cause more branches than usual to break. Also, poor pruning practices can disfigure and damage, killing the tree.

It will not kill a tree if you make a wrong cut. However, pruning incorrectly or too often can kill a tree. It’s important not to trim more than 25 percent of an individual tree’s outer layer of leaves simultaneously.

So far, that sounds like a lot to take in, but there’s a far easier way to keep your trees healthy and beautiful. Let’s get into that.

Is It Better to Let the Professionals Handle It?

There is so much information to digest about safely pruning trees that it’s much less taxing to let professionals take care of that. At Lewis Burns Tree Service, experts can assist you with tree removal, trimming, stump grinding, and emergency services,  across the area.

Whether you require tree trimming in Dallastown, PA, or tree trimming and removal in York, PA, Lewis Burns Tree Service can take care of that for you, and they have a stellar reputation and a very skilled staff. Give us a call at 717-891-7926 to get your project started.

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