When it comes to keeping your yard looking great through each season, you need to familiarize yourself with seasonal tree-trimming tips. It’s not good to trim certain tree species during certain times of the year because it can worsen stress on the tree. This guide walks you through the best tree-trimming tips that you need to know for each season.
Summer
Summer is the part of the year to do most of your observation rather than trimming. This is because if you trim the trees during extreme heat, it compounds their stress. It also limits their ability to photosynthesize and makes it more likely that they will suffer from an insect infestation or sunscald. But this doesn’t mean you don’t need to do any trimming at all. In fact, summer is the perfect time to clear away those dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Getting rid of these problem limbs can do wonders for your yard by helping it to maintain a healthier and more attractive appearance.
Fall
Fall is another season when you need to be extra careful with tree trimming. Trees are usually preparing for dormancy in the fall. If you accidentally remove too much growth while pruning, you make it incredibly difficult for the tree to heal and store energy for the winter months ahead. Rather than trying to reshape the entire canopy, just focus on the branches that are causing problems, such as those rubbing up against the side of your house. You can also trim the ones that are hanging too low over walkways.
Winter
Even though you’d probably prefer to do most of your tree trimming during warmer weather, winter is actually the best part of the year for this landscaping task. Because trees are dormant during winter, the sap inside them isn’t flowing, so they are less likely to experience stress from pruning. But make sure to wait until the dead of winter so that you don’t accidentally attract beetles that carry fungal diseases. As you’re trimming the trees, steer clear of removing large scaffold branches, so you don’t risk destabilizing the tree’s structure. It also helps to thin out overcrowded branches, as this will give the trees a much healthier and more balanced appearance.
Spring
Spring is typically the season when most people want to go outside and start trimming their trees. If you’re planning to do this, do it as early in spring as possible. If you wait until late spring, you’ll end up trimming the trees after their buds start to grow, and you need to avoid this at all costs.
Now that you understand how to trim your trees during cooler weather, you’ll have a much easier time keeping your yard looking fresh. If you need assistance with tree trimming, pruning, or general landscape maintenance, you can always hire a landscaping company. If you live in Plymouth, MN or a surrounding area and need tree trimming services, make your first call to Woodland Tree Service.
