Fall and Winter Pruning for Trees and Shrubs

While the end of summer signals the end of gardening for most, smart folks realize that fall and winter can be a good time to correct shrub and tree problems. Late fall and winter are great times to prune trees, because the leaves have fallen leaving the true structure of the trees exposed. It makes it easy for a professional arborist to determine where and how much corrective pruning is needed.During the fall and winter season, insects and diseases are less likely to infect pruning wounds. The word “wound” shouldn’t bring anything negative to mind. Pruning will naturally leave areas of your trees exposed while the healing process takes place. The truth is fall and winter pruning can benefit most every type of tree, but elms and oaks are both species that should be pruned in late fall or winter to protect the integrity of the trees.Corrective PruningNature has its own way of shaping trees and shrubbery, and for many people, it’s not always the shape or form we think it should be. Corrective pruning allows you to remove the sections of a plant or tree that aren’t growing in the shape we’d like. Examples where corrective pruning are needed include branches rubbing against each other or overhanging limbs and tree branches that obstruct visibility or create unsafe property conditions.Shrubs that are growing wild or just overgrown are also good candidates for fall and winter pruning. For shrubs, thinning rather than shearing at the top is recommended. Thinning helps to reduce the plants overall size while helping it keeps its overall shape. Thinning will also be important for shrubs in the flowering stage. You just have to make sure that you don’t remove too many stalks or branches. Shrubs that produce flowers, along with flowering trees have already formed their flowers during the fall and winter for the following spring. Make sure your shearing efforts reduce without destroying your trees or shrubs.Not sure where to begin in having your trees pruned this fall or winter for healthy spring growth? Contact the professionals at Wauson Tree Service for a free estimate, or, give me a call at 214-450-8720. You can also email me at walt {at} wausontreeservice {dot} com.