Just like many of us need to cut our hair from time to time, your trees can benefit from a proper trim. Pruning helps your trees to shake off weak branches and encourages strong growth every spring. The key to this maintenance is pruning your trees at the right time. Your local East Tennessee tree care experts are here to help, offering this guide on when you should prune your trees.
Each species of tree grows at a different rate, so trimming different trees at the same time actually can be harmful. Generally speaking, you should prune trees every three to five years. Other species, such as fruit trees, may need to be trimmed every year to help them produce fruit each spring. Certain varieties of trees, such as oaks, need to be pruned on different schedules as they age. Oaks also are susceptible to a disease called oak wilt after pruning, and as a result, they never should be pruned in the summertime.
The time of year you prune is also a factor. Most pruning occurs during the dormant season. Doing so at this time triggers new growth in the spring. While pruning in the dormant season can be beneficial, you should wait until after the coldest part of the winter to prune your trees.
Pruning during peak season can be recommended in certain situations, such as if you want to slow the growth of a particular tree or even a specific branch. If you prune after seasonal growth has concluded, this reduces the total leaf surface and, with it, the amount of food manufactured by the tree and sent to the roots. Peak-season pruning also comes in handy for removing defective limbs, or branches that hang down too far due to the weight of the leaves.
You also can prune at strategic times to enhance the flowering of your trees. If this is your goal, prune trees that bloom in the spring when their flowers begin to fade. For trees that flower in the midsummer or late summer, pruning should take place during the winter or early part of the spring.
Never prune any tree in the fall. During this season, decay fungi profusely spread their sores, which makes it harder for your tree to heal from the cuts that take place from pruning.
Not sure when to prune your trees? Consult a certified arborist in the Tri-Cities, like the ones on staff at Promier Tree. An arborist can come out to your property and evaluate each tree, determining the optimum schedule for pruning. Our arborists are well trained “tree experts” who are skilled in evaluating a wide variety of different types of trees and can make recommendations to produce the best quality results for the trees on your property. Our team of professional landscapers also can handle the pruning and any of your other maintenance needs.
Tree Pruning in the Tri-Cities
Contact Promier Tree today at (423) 765-2626 to schedule an appointment with one of our arborists for an on-site evaluation.
Promier Tree is here to serve the residential and business customers in the areas of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport in Tennessee.