Time to Trim (and Prune) the Tree
As the year comes to an end, it’s a good time to break out the pruners and pole saw to prepare your landscape for the upcoming spring. Late fall/early winter can be the best time to take advantage of getting rid of any unsightly broken branches or to shape your trees and shrubs for the upcoming season and promoting fresh new growth for the spring flush. An optimal time is once the leaves drop, and you can see the branching structure and prior to snow flying. Whether the tree is young or old, it is still very beneficial to the overall health and structure.
Dormant Pruning is just pruning while the plant is dormant. Pruning while dormant is less stressful for the plant since it is not in its growing phase. It also reduces the chances of spreading any diseases. For trees such as Oak, this is the only time you want to trim them to prevent Oak Wilt. Don't forget to also combat disease by thoroughly cleaning your instruments between plants.
You can be more aggressive on how much you remove during this time. Maybe your burning bush, Taxus, Lilac or Forsythia are getting a little wild or out of control. You can prune them hard while dormant in the winter to make your landscape look new again. The woody shrubs like these respond very well to a major pruning while dormant. You can remove up to a third of the old branching to bring your landscape back to life for the upcoming spring.
It’s also a good time while the leaves have dropped, and you can see the plant structure better to look for any branches that are crossed or rubbing and fix it while the plant is young. Also, you can thin out any overcrowded areas of the plant to help with air flow and light penetration. When a tree or shrub is young, this is the time to prune them in a way to create a balanced look or the look you are going for. I love the look of a well-trained Amelanchier or Kousa Dogwood. It can be much easier to achieve its future esthetics while the plant is younger.
For plants such as hydrangea, they can be a bit more challenging. Be sure to know when the best time is to cut these because they all differ. You can cut smooth hydrangea such as Annabelle to the ground in late winter or early Spring. However, some hydrangeas like to be pruned late summer prior to next year’s buds developing, so make sure to do a bit of research if you are planning on trimming any Hydrangea.
As always, we are always more than happy to answer any questions. Be sure to check out our wide variety of shears, pole saws and hand pruners available at our store.
