As your go-to team for tree trimming in Jacksonville, FL, Eagerton Tree Service continues answering commonly asked questions. The topic here is “When is the best time to prune trees?” Read on to learn more.
When is the Best Time to Prune Your Trees?
Thanks to the mild climate in Jacksonville, Florida, property owners are at liberty to trim trees and shrubs year-round. Generally speaking, it’s safe to trim your trees in winter. Why?
- Most plants are dormant in winter.
- Insects and diseases are largely inactive in winter.
- You can see the structure of the tree branches more clearly because there’s less foliage in winter.
- The pruning wound has some time to heal before spring’s growth.
However, the type of plant also dictates the best time of year to prune for optimal results.
The Best Time for Different Tree Types
When is the best time to prune trees based on their type? There are rules and exceptions for everything.
Deciduous Trees
You should always trim deciduous plants in late fall or winter.
They’re dormant at this time and lose their leaves, which makes it easier to see the tree branches.
Young Trees
You should wait at least a year before pruning your saplings. The exception is when you need to remove broken, diseased, or damaged branches.
Leave the lower branches in place, as these will protect the trunk.
New Trees
You should give your mature trees at least two years to establish a strong root system before you start to “train” them. However, it’s okay to issue corrective pruning where you remove the following potential problems:
- Double leaders
- Crossed limbs
- Broken, diseased, or dead branches
You should also leave the lower branches in place at this stage to protect the trunk. You can look at starting to remove them after five to ten years.
Subtropical Trees
You should neaten up subtropical species all year as they grow prolifically in Florida’s balmy weather. These trees do well with a good haircut at any time, but always stick to the standard rule: Never remove more than a third of the live tissue in one season.
If you lose a big branch with a significant proportion of foliage, you’re done pruning for that year.
Flowering Trees
When does your tree bloom? Typically, if it’s in the early spring, you’ll prune the tree right after it flowers.
For trees that bloom in the summer or fall, a trim in the early spring or late winter is better because they’re dormant.
Fruit Trees
You will usually trim fruit trees in Florida’s late winter or early spring. A light pruning at the end of July or in August works, too.
Remove cluttered branches if they’re interfering with air circulation and sunlight, which the tree needs for fruit production, but don’t overdo it.
Contact Our Florida Team for Expert Pruning
When is the best time to prune trees? As your expert tree trimming service, we know when to apply the tree-pruning rules and when to break them. So, call Eagerton Tree Service at 904-823-3090 (residential) or 904-304-3938 (commercial) today!
