Although most people think that they can trim the trees in their backyards whenever they want, this isn’t entirely true. In fact, cutting them at the wrong time can cause a wide range of problems including illness and withering. This is why you must ensure that you take care of the dead, diseased, or broken branches at the right time.
However, if you have never trimmed them before, you might be wondering – what is the best time of year for pruning? To put it simply, it’ll depend on the types you decided to plant and luckily, the article below will shed some light on the entire topic. Let’s take a closer look at what you should know:
You Must Prune By Type
As you probably already know, most trimming is done to get rid of infected, weak, broken, diseased, or dead branches and the entire process could be completed during any seasons with little to no effect on the trees. Now, you should keep in mind, growth and closure of the cut are increased if your prune during late winter, just before new spurts start growing.
Why is it important for the cuts and wounds to close? Well, they can spread disease. For instance, oaks could suffer from oak wilt. Additionally, you should remember that each cut changes the way the plant will spread and grow, hence, you must ensure that you don’t cut any of the branches unless there is a good reason to do so.
Most people remove dead branches in order to make the plants look better and grow more, and more importantly, they also trim dangerous branches that can fall and injure someone. Here is a list of some common tree types and the best time to cut them during one year:
1. ‘Deciduous’
This type of tree will entirely shed its leaves during each year. Most of them must be trimmed at the end of autumn or at the beginning of winter. Why should you take care of them during colder seasons? Well, by then, they’ll enter the dormant seasons, and once they do, it’ll be easier for you to see which branches need to be cut. Additionally, you’ll see if there are any insects or diseases that you need to take care of.
2. ‘Younger Plants’
If you want the young trees in your backyard to develop properly and to be healthy, you must ensure that you prune them properly. By pruning them properly and in the right amount while they’re still young, you won’t need to cut them as much as they grow stronger and older. Depending on the area you live in, you should ask professional pruning companies such as burketrees.com when you should trim younger plants.
3. ‘Subtropic’
You might live in a warmer area such as California, and if so, you should cut them all year-round, mostly because of the environment they grow in. Subtropic plants frequently replace the tissue they lose and they also have a lot of access to sunlight and water during the entire year. However, you shouldn’t trim larger branches every day, especially since you should never remove more than 30% of live branches, no matter what season it is.
But, what happens if you have a broken or damaged branch that has over 30% of live leaves on it? Well, if this is something that happened to you, you must remember that you shouldn’t touch it. In fact, you’re pretty much done with trimming that specific tree or plant for the year. Hence, you can choose whether or not you want to cut it, and if you do, keep in mind, you shouldn’t prune it anymore for the year.
4. ‘Budding Trees’
If the plants in your yard are budding, you must make sure that you prune them after the flowers have bloomed. If there are dead or diseased branches or if you want to routinely prune them, you could complete the process at any time that is suitable for you. But, the type of the plant will dictate the specific needs it has, and more importantly, it’ll dictate when and how you should trim them, hence, ensure that you do some digging and learn what you should do.
Tips For Pruning Trees
Before we can conclude this article, it’s worth mentioning some things that you should keep in mind and know, especially since it can influence the overall health of your trees. In most situations, it’s best to trim them during the winter, when the temperatures get lower. Hence, you might want to consider taking care of them during November of every year. Trimming is most effective from November to March.
Why are these months optimal? Well, it’s quite simple – they’re dormant during that time, which is exactly why that seasons are the best. If you ensure that they’re dormant, you’ll also ensure that no diseases, infections, or insects attack the plants, all of which can easily cause it to wither, and in more drastic situations, it could completely die. This period is also the perfect time for the plants to recover, hence, when spring arrives, your plants will look perfect.
Lastly, if you choose to trim them during the colder months, the entire process won’t influence the landscape around them. And, this is exactly how professionals can provide their clients with services that are more detailed and complex. Almost every tree type can tolerate winter pruning, which means that you won’t need to worry about the types you have in your backyard – which also makes everything less complex for you.
Conclusion
Depending on the types of trees you have in your backyard, you’ll have to trim them at a specific time. By doing so, you’ll ensure that you keep your trees healthy and strong, and more importantly, you’ll ensure that you remove any dead or diseased branches that can cause the entire plant to die.
So, now that you’re aware of when you should take care of your trees, you shouldn’t lose any more of your time. Instead, you should make a list of all the trees you have, and then determine whether or not you can trim them right now, or if you’ll have to wait for the right season.
