When it comes to the question, “Which season is best for tree tree pruning?” The answer will likely be indirect.
Tree type often dictates when many species are able to be trimmed, along with insect population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other species of plants and trees nearby.
With the guidance of a professional arborist in Maine, you will be able to decide which time of year is the best for pruning your trees to set them up for success next season and beyond.
Best Season to Prune Trees
Without any other context, ME Tree Trimming recommends trimming trees in the winter. This would be sometime from November to March in Maine. This season is ideal because the trees are typically dormant, so pruning will lead to a minimal amount of damage, if any.
There are many benefits to pruning trees in the winter:
Less chance of insect damage and disease – Insects and plant diseases are mostly inactive in the winter. During the rest of the year, everything from insects to fungus can affect a newly pruned tree because the tree is most susceptible and these issues thrive during warmer weather.
Easier to determine the shape of the tree when there are no leaves – Leaves get in the way of your arborist from seeing the complete shape of the tree. When tree branches are bare, it is a lot easier to identify dead or diseased limbs and branches that are touching versus those that are just too close to each other.
Trees have time to heal before spring – By performing significant pruning in the winter, your trees will have several months to rebuild callus tissue on the tips of the remaining branch collar. By spring season, you’ll barely be able to tell where the branches were cut off, and the tree will be able to focus its energy to produce new, healthier leaves, fruit or flowers instead of healing new cuts.
Less chance of damaging surrounding landscaping – Most of the surrounding trees and plants will also be dormant during this time, so there is less risk of doing damage to them. Many times, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the warmer months, but there are no plants to be disturbed in the winter months since these annuals already died out.
Do All Trees Need Pruning?
Yes, all trees will benefit from routine trimming. Tree trimming every winter is good for trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your property and your family and neighbors. Let us explain:
Trimming Makes the Tree Healthier
Dead and diseased limbs are removed, as are stubs that are susceptible to pests and disease. Branches that can rub against one another are also trimmed so they don’t weaken one another or create an open wound on the tree.
Trimming trees every winter is a great way to get expert eyes on the health of your trees so that early warning signs of decay, disease and pest problems can be spotted and handled immediately.
A Cared-For Tree Serves Its Purpose Better
When a tree is overgrown, it starts to be hard for water and nutrients to reach every branch. This can leave the tree looking weak and sick and definitely not doing what it’s meant to do.
Pruned trees, on the other hand, produce more fruit, healthier leaves and provide better shade. They are much fuller and healthier and less likely to create landscaping problems. So regardless of why you planted a new tree, pruning will improve the results you desire from it.
Trees are More Beautiful After Pruning
If the curb appeal of your landscaping is important to you, tree trimming is a necessity! Pruning trees creates an attractive, uniform shape and size. This is especially important if you have a lot of similar trees on your property.
Cutting off lower branches and upper branches that grow at improper angles enhances the overall look of the tree while also promoting tree health.
Less Chance of Falling Branches
Tree pruning – done the right way – helps the remaining tree branches to grow healthier and stronger. Therefore, storms and high winds won’t damage your trees the same way they would an unkempt tree. Your home and family will be safer living under and around pruned trees.
Another safety concern for large trees is that they can block the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree trimming, crown raising and other professional tree care services will keep the tree at a good size and prevent it from blocking various views.
Call ME Tree Trimming for Tree Pruning
Working with a certified arborist in Maine gives you access to their knowledge on the subject of tree pruning. We strongly recommend relying on their years of experience if there are trees on your property that you’d like to keep healthy for a long time.
An arborist won’t only consider the immediate situation. Instead, he or she will take time to research your trees and study their unique scenario (including their location and factors that may put them at risk). After gathering all the information, an arborist will make a long-term plan based on your trees’ unique needs and stick to that plan until the goals for your trees are met.
This plan might require years to implement, but rest assured, it will lead to healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for generations.
This kind of ongoing care will result in healthy tree growth, help your landscaping resist plant diseases and enhance fruit or flower production from the trees. It will also fortify your trees so there is less risk of falling trees or limbs.
Being proactive about tree care can save you a lot of money over time as well. Preventative care is far more cost-effective than paying for emergency tree services, storm damage restoration or curing a sick tree of a disease that has gotten out of hand (and one that was easily preventable).
If you care about the health of your trees and the beauty of your landscaping, trust a certified arborist for tree trimming and maintenance from ME Tree Trimming. Find our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Maine. Call now!
