5 Reasons To Prune A Tree In Summer
Posted on: 25 July 2022
In many cases, the heaviest tree trimming of the year occurs in late winter or very early spring, when trees are mostly dormant and new growth has yet to start. There are a few cases, though, where summer tree trimming is a wise idea if you want your landscape trees to remain healthy.
1. Selective Thinning
Sometimes heavy new growth in spring causes problems in summer. If the tree canopy becomes too dense, insufficient light will reach the interior, and those affected branches may begin to die off. Mildews and molds are also more likely to thrive in a dense tree crown. Your tree trimming service can selectively thin out the interior during the summer months to encourage continued tree health.
2. Late Flowering
Those landscape trees that are grown for their flowers shouldn't be pruned heavily at the normal time in late winter because it will cut away the flower buds and reduce blooming. Instead, the trees are pruned immediately following flowering, before next year's buds are set. Those trees that flower in late spring and early summer will require their main pruning in summer.
3. Damage Control
Storm and wind damage can break branches or leave wounds on the wood. The damaged wood needs to be trimmed out immediately, both to help the tree to heal quickly and to ensure a broken branch doesn't fall onto something — or someone — below. Your tree service will cut back these branches to the nearest healthy wood or to the trunk, ensuring the tree remains healthy, attractive, and safe.
4. Shape Maintenance
Heavily pruned and shaped evergreen trees can begin to look unkempt about halfway through the growing season. This is especially true of those trees, such as junipers or cherry laurels, that are often pruned into shape for formal hedges and windbreaks. Careful trimming with hedge clippers to remove the overgrowth and maintain the shape can be performed as needed throughout the summer months.
5. Health Concerns
Some diseases or pest infestations can quickly spread if not managed. Cutting out badly infested foliage or branches may be the only way to slow down the spread, or it may make pesticide and disease treatments more effective if the worst affected parts of the tree are pruned away. Your tree service may also want to cut back diseased branches so they don't overhang healthy plants.
Contact a tree trimming service if you suspect that your trees may need a summer pruning.
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