When it comes to the question, “What time of year is best for tree trimming?” The answer can be vague.
The type of tree dictates when many species are able to be pruned, along with pest population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other plants and trees in the landscape.
With the guidance of a certified arborist in Alaska, you can figure out which season is ideal for pruning your trees to prepare them for success next season and beyond.
Best Season to Prune Trees
Without any other context, AK Tree Trimming recommends tree trimming during the winter. This would be sometime within November to March in most areas. This season is best because trees are mostly dormant, so trimming will cause the least amount of harm, if any.
There are a lot of benefits to trimming trees during the winter:
Lower chance of pest damage and disease – Insects and plant diseases are mostly inactive in the winter. Throughout the rest of the year, everything from insects to fungus can affect a newly pruned tree because the tree is most susceptible and these issues are more common during warmer weather.
Easier to determine the shape of the tree when the leaves are gone – Leaves get in the way of your arborist from seeing the complete shape of a tree. When the branches are bare, it is a lot easier to see diseased or dead limbs 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 during the winter, your trees have many months to rebuild callus tissue on the tips of the remaining branch collar. By the spring season, you’ll barely be able to notice where the branches were cut off, and the tree will be able to focus its energy to produce new, healthier leaves, fruit or flowers rather than healing new cuts.
Less chance of damaging surrounding landscaping – Most of the nearby trees and greenery will also be dormant, so there is a lower risk of them. Most of the time, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the warmer seasons, but there are no plants to be disturbed in the winter months since these annuals have already died out.
Do All Trees Need Trimming?
Yes, all trees can benefit from pruning. Tree trimming each winter is good for trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your property and your family and neighbors. Let us explain:
Pruning Makes the Tree Healthier
Dying and diseased limbs are cut off, as are branch stubs that are prone to pests and disease. Limbs that can rub each other are also pruned so that they don’t weaken one another or cause an open wound on the tree.
Pruning trees every year is a great way to get expert eyes on your trees so that early warning signs of decay, disease and insect infestations can be spotted and dealt with immediately.
A Well-Maintained Tree Serves Its Purpose Better
When a tree becomes overgrown, it starts to be hard for water and nutrients to get to every limb. 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, pruning will maximize the results you want from it.
Trees are More Attractive After Pruning
If the view of your landscaping is important to you, tree pruning is important! Pruning trees gives them an attractive, uniform shape and size. This is especially important if you have a lot of similar trees on your property.
Trimming lower branches and upper branches that grow at awkward angles improves the overall beauty of the tree while also strengthening tree health.
Less Chance of Falling Branches
Tree pruning – from an arborist – helps the remaining tree branches to grow healthier and stronger. Therefore, storms and other inclement weather in Alaska won’t damage your trees the same way they would an unkempt tree. Your home and family will be much safer living under and around trimmed trees.
Another safety concern 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 good size and stop it from blocking various views.
Call AK Tree Trimming for Tree Pruning
Working with a certified arborist in Alaska gives you access to their expert knowledge on tree trimming. We recommend relying on their expertise if you have trees on your property that you’d like to keep healthy for a long time.
An arborist won’t only look at the immediate situation. Instead, he or she will take time to inspect 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 of the information, an arborist will make a long-term plan based on the trees’ unique needs and stick to that plan until your goals for your trees are met.
This plan could require many years to implement, but rest assured, it will result in healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for many years to come.
This kind of annual care will aid in healthy tree growth, help your landscaping resist plant diseases and increase flower or fruit production from the trees. It will also fortify your trees so there is not as much risk of falling trees or branches.
Being proactive about tree pruning will save you a lot of money as well. Preventative maintenance is much more affordable than paying for emergency tree services, storm damage restoration or restoring an ill tree of a disease that has spread 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 AK Tree Trimming. Discover our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Alaska. Call now!