Even though summer is not the ideal season for tree pruning, there are several reasons why you may have to cut back your trees. Here are a few tree pruning techniques to remember this time of year.

Summer Tree Pruning Techniques

One of the main reasons to prune trees during summer is if the branches have been damaged. Damage, death, and disease are some of the only factors for tree pruning during any season. If a broken limb could potentially do damage to your home or others, it should be pruned.

If branches must be cut in summer, avoid rainy or humid weather conditions. Wait till the plant is dry to decrease the chances for infection and spread of bacterial disease.

Some plants are more susceptible to water-borne diseases, such as cherry, apricot, and pluot trees. These should be pruned in the drier summer months.

Lazy Days of Summer Pruning

Activities can start to slow down in the summer heat, and the same can go for tree growth. You can slow down, or dwarf, the development of a tree or branch by pruning it soon after seasonal growth is complete, and for some plants, this is in the summer. Slowing down growth reduces leaf surface and food production.

When a tree has too many leaves or branches are weighed down by heavy fruit, you can see these defective limbs more easily this time of year, and prune them to help the tree grow stronger in the future.

For more seasonal tree pruning tips, contact the specialists at Elite Tree Care.