When it comes to the question, “What time of year is best for tree tree pruning?” The answer can be vague.
The type of tree usually dictates when many species are able to be trimmed, along with pest population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other plants and trees in the landscape.
With the help of a professional arborist in West Virginia, you will be able to figure out what time of year is the best for pruning your trees to set them up for success next season and every year after that.
Best Season to Prune Trees
Without any other information, WV Tree Trimming recommends pruning trees in the winter. This ranges from November to March in West Virginia. Winter is ideal because trees are usually dormant, so pruning will lead to the least amount of damage, if any.
There are a lot of benefits to pruning trees in the winter:
Lower risk of pest damage and disease – Pests and plant diseases are largely inactive in the winter in West Virginia. During the rest of the year, anything from insects to fungus can affect a newly pruned tree because the tree will be the most susceptible and these issues thrive when there is 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 overall shape of a tree. When the branches are bare, it is a lot easier to identify dead or diseased branches and branches that are touching versus those that are just too close to each other.
Trees can heal before spring – By performing significant tree trimming in the winter, your trees will have many months to build up callus tissue on the tips of the remaining branch collar. By the spring, you’ll barely be able to notice where the branches were cut off, and the tree will be able to use its energy to produce new leaves, fruit or flowers rather than healing new cuts.
Less chance of harming surrounding landscaping – Most of the nearby trees and greenery will also be dormant, so there is less risk of damaging them. Most of the time, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the warmer months, but there are no plants to be disturbed in the winter since these annuals already died out.
Do All Trees Need Trimming?
Yes, all trees can benefit from routine pruning. Tree pruning each winter is good for trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your property and your family. Let us explain:
Pruning Makes the Tree Healthier
Dying and diseased branches are cut off, as are branch stubs that are prone to pests and disease. Limbs that can rub against one another are also trimmed so that they don’t weaken one another or create an open wound on the tree.
Pruning trees each winter is a great way to get expert eyes on the health of your trees so that early signs of decay, disease and pest problems can be identified and responded to as soon as possible.
A Cared-For Tree Serves Its Purpose Better
When a tree is overgrown, it’s hard for water and nutrients to get to every branch. This can leave the tree looking weak and sick and definitely not doing what it’s meant to do.
Trimmed trees, on the other hand, produce more fruit, healthier leaves and provide better shade. They are fuller and healthier and less likely to cause landscaping issues. So regardless of why you decided to plant a new tree, routine trimming each winter will improve the results you want from it.
Trees are More Beautiful After Trimming
If the view of your yard or 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 several identical trees on your property.
Trimming lower branches and upper branches that grow at awkward angles enhances the overall beauty of the tree while also strengthening tree health.
Less Risk of Falling Branches
Tree trimming – from an arborist – encourages the remaining tree branches to grow stronger and healthier. 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 trimmed trees.
Another safety issue for overgrown trees is that they block the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree pruning, crown raising and other specialized tree care services will keep the tree at a manageable size and stop it from blocking various views.
Call WV Tree Trimming for Tree Trimming
Hiring a certified arborist in West Virginia gives you access to their expert knowledge on tree trimming. We recommend relying on their years of experience if there are trees on that you’d like to keep healthy for a long time.
An arborist won’t just consider the current situation. Instead, an arborist will take the time to research your trees and study their unique scenario (including their location and other factors that could put them at risk of disease or infestation). After gathering all the information, an arborist will create a long-term plan based on your trees’ unique needs and stick to that course of action until the goals for your trees are met.
This plan might require many years to implement, but rest assured, it will result in healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for generations.
This kind of annual care will aid in healthy tree growth, help your landscaping resist plant diseases and increase fruit or flower production from trees. It will also strengthen your trees so there is less risk of falling trees or branches.
Being proactive about tree care will save you a lot of money over time too. Preventative care is far more cost-effective than the cost of emergency tree services, storm damage cleanup or restoring a sick tree of a disease that has gotten out of control (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 WV Tree Trimming. Find our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of West Virginia. Call today!
