When is the best time to prune my trees?
Posted onMarch 01, 2021
When is the best time to prune my trees?
The ideal time to prune/trim trees & hedges is between Autumn & early Spring, before the spring blooms come through. A lot depends on what type of trees you have, talk to your local Arboricultural Association approved arborist, like us at Teign Trees & Landscapes SW Limited, for more advice, here is some information below:
Why is late Autumn to early Spring the best time for Pruning/Trimming?
Most trees enter a dormant stage, halting their growth, between late Autumn through to early Spring. This, plus dropping temperatures, gives the ideal situation for pruning.
Are there any benefits of pruning in late Autumn or Winter?
Yes, Pruning or trimming trees while dormant promotes the trees health & encourages future tree growth. Even better, dormant pruning can save time & money by helping with disease management.
Who should I get to prune my Trees?
We at Teign Trees & Landscapes SW Limited highly recommend employing a fully qualified & Arboriculture Association Approved Contractor like us. You can go to their website and view the list of Arb Approved Contractors in your area. That way you will be assured a good job will be done. If you have trees you would like to get checked out or would like to book in for their Annual Trim, please give our office a call on 01626 773499 and we can arrange for one of our fully qualified managers to come out and give you Free No Obligation Quote for the work you require.
Deciduous Trees:
If you have Deciduous Trees in your garden, the ideal time to prune/trim them is in the Autumn and Winter, although with some trees, like Magnolia, it is best to prune in late summer as they heal quicker. There are some trees, like Birch & Walnut, that can bleed sap, so we advise against pruning in late winter & early spring. Although it probably won’t kill the trees it might weaken them which is best avoided. A light summer prune is a good time to check for over vigorous growth, like suckering species of Populus & should only be carried out on healthy trees.
Evergreen Trees
Evergreen trees hardly ever need ‘pruning’. Obviously, there are times when it is necessary to trim evergreens, dead or diseased branches can be removed from late summer or when needed if dangerous. It is best to prune while the tree/shrub is dormant, so early spring is the ideal time, new growth will then quickly fill in. An all over trim is best done annually to keep the growth under control, harsh trimming evergreens can be done but it’s not particularly ideal.
Different types of pruning/trimming are:
Pollarding: This is the most extreme form of pruning. The whole crown of the tree is taken off leaving a pollarded trunk. The tree will then re grow into a nice shape and will need similar doing in a few years.
Crown Lifting: This is the process of lifting the crown of a tree, mainly done to give access to the base of the tree, particularly good for mowing under and when the tree is in a public location like a pavement etc
Crown Thinning: Crowns are thinned mainly to let in more sunlight and to reduce weight on the trunk, by removing some branches. It is very easy to ruin the shape/appearance of the tree so it is best to undertake this in stages, checking the effect before removing more.
Ideally these would all be carried out by professional arborists like us here at Teign Trees, who will check if your tree has a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) on it, you can also check with your local tree officer at your council who will advise what can & can’t be done.
Have a Look at our website here for more information on the services we offer, or give us a call on 01626 773499 to arrange your FREE no obligation quote with one of our fully qualified managers.
