Trees have essentially been dormant during the winter months, preparing to come back to life as temperatures warm.
Tree experts say if there’s a “best” time to give those trees some TLC and start pruning, it’s now.
“Anytime over the winter is great, but certainly it’s a little cold in the middle of the winter, so we like to come in this tail end of the winter as it starts to warm up a little bit,” says Brian Wolyniak, an urban forester with Penn State Extension. “It’s a little bit more comfortable to get out and start pruning.”
Wolyniak said because trees are essentially “asleep” during the winter, pruning them during that time helps avoid adding stress to the tree.
Certified arborists, or professionals who specialize in tree care, say there’s also a method to deciding what branches to cut and what to leave.
“A lot of that decision making is made from the ground, and a lot of it changes once you get aloft,” says Christian Fitzpatrick with Bartlett Tree Experts. “But you can get a good basic outline for what you’re going to do when you’re standing on the ground.”
Fitzpatrick describes pruning trees as more of an art form than simply cutting off dead branches. The goal, he said, is to make sure the tree grows with a strong structure.
“Pruning to create the strongest structure that you can that’s the least likely to fail under wind loads, ice loads, snow loads,” Fitzpatrick said. “And it changes from plant to plant.”
He said arborists often look for several indicators while deciding what to prune, including scratching branches to check whether they are still alive and considering how each cut could affect the tree’s overall health.
Both experts say once leaves begin to appear, it’s generally time to stop pruning for the season.
“Generally it’s OK to go back in the summer to prune,” Wolyniak said. “Once we get to mid- to late May, especially that earlier part of the summer, we might want to taper off as we get into the dry, hot, late part of the summer.”
Experts also recommend homeowners avoid taking on major pruning jobs themselves. Instead, they say people should focus only on branches they can safely reach from the ground. If a tree requires climbing a ladder or cutting higher branches, that’s when it’s best to call a professional.
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