How Often Should Trees Be Trimmed?

When you trim your trees is dependent on several factors:

The Type of Tree

Professionals will tell you that different types of trees should be trimmed at different times of the year. For instance, sap producing trees like birches, dogwoods, walnuts, and maple will make a mess if you trim them in the spring or fall when their sap level is at it’s highest.

The warmer summer months are the best time to trim these trees. Flowering trees are best trimmed right after the spring bloom has fully gone through its entire cycle. Fruit trees such as apple and pear trees are best pruned during the winter months. Most trees are best trimmed at the dormancy stage so that the tree trimming procedure won’t suppress the tree’s growth. 

Tree Appearance

Even an untrained eye can tell when a tree looks bad and needs to be trimmed. It will look overgrown with branches and limbs that are growing too close to each other. A tree will also appear misshapen when it’s time to give it a trim. So the visual appearance of any tree is a factor in determining when to trim it.

Tree Age

One of the biggest factors on how often to trim trees is tree age. That’s because it’s critical to keep young trees trimmed. This helps to keep them stay healthy and makes them grow in the proper shape.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that tree trimming is a spring or fall task. Different types of trees like to be trimmed at different times of the year. You will need to do some research in order to learn what is the best time of year to trim the different species of trees in your yard.