With the fall season in full swing, many homeowners are now prioritizing yard maintenance. In addition to all the tasks of maintaining a yard, you can’t help but wonder if you should prune your trees. Pruning your trees can be beneficial, but is now the right time?
Here’s how you can decide if fall pruning is right for your trees.
What Is Tree Pruning and Why Does It Matter?
Pruning is the process of removing certain parts of a tree, like dead or diseased branches, to preserve its health. During fall and winter, trees go through a dormant phase, which is characterized by its incredibly slow growth. Pruning your trees helps encourage healthy growth, removes safety hazards and maintains the tree’s shape.
Benefits of Pruning Your Trees During Fall
There are plenty of benefits when pruning your trees.
These benefits include:
- Easier inspection – With the leaves gone for the season, it’s easier to see any dead, damaged or diseased branches.
- Disease prevention – As the weather cools down, it reduces the risk of pest infestations and fungal infections.
- Better safety – Getting rid of weak or overhanging branches during fall removes potential safety hazards during the winter.
- Reduced sap flow – Trees become dormant as the fall season sets in, which means their sap flows slower. This reduces the risk of attracting insects.
- Preparation for spring – Pruning your trees in fall can direct the tree’s energy towards healthy growth.
Cons of Pruning Your Trees in Fall
Though pruning your trees during the fall season is beneficial, certain cons can cause unnecessary harm.
These cons include:
Potential Tree Damage
Pruning your trees in fall can weaken them, which increases the risk of damage. This is especially true if the pruning isn’t handled properly. For example, if you prune your trees late in the season, the wounds may not properly heal before the first frost hits. As a result, this leaves the tree vulnerable to cold damage.
New Growth
Another con of pruning is that it encourages new growth. Any new tree growth that occurs is vulnerable to the colder temperatures and can die prematurely during winter. This is why it’s best to only prune when fall is just starting.
Disruption of Nutrient Distribution
Pruning also interferes with the distribution of a tree’s nutrients. When trees start becoming dormant, they shift their nutrient flow. Pruning in the fall can potentially disrupt this process, which impacts the tree’s vitality during spring.
It’s not a bad idea to prune your trees, but depending on your situation, fall may not be the best time to do so. If you want to ensure your trees are properly pruned in Jacksonville, NC, we’ll be more than happy to help! Contact Just In Time Tree Care today!
