Pruning during the spring and summer is often a big part of a homeowner’s life. In addition to trimming hedges, homeowners must prune shrubs to maintain shape and form. Dead branches have to be removed from trees with pole saws or other equipment.
This is also a good time for “deadheading” or cutting off dead flowers. It’s necessary for flowers like forsythias and lilacs that need to be continuously maintained.
However, pruning during the fall and winter is just as important. For example, after complete leaf fall, it’s easier to see a plant’s overall structure, especially when it comes to shrubs and bushes. This allows for the removal of any dead, crossing, or diseased branches and to control the plant’s height and width as well.
Technically, cutting or pruning plants creates a wound. However, the cooler temperatures during the winter are ideal for pruning as plants are less vulnerable to fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases. The sap will also heal over the wound in the spring.
Since it’s much easier to see the plant’s structure during the dormant season, it’s a great time to make shrubs, trees, and other plants smaller and more manageable.
Continuous pruning throughout the seasons can be time consuming and physically exhausting, especially if homeowners aren’t familiar with best practices.
If you’d like a landscape company with over 40 years of experience in pruning, weeding, and other techniques to keep your landscape looking healthy and robust, contact us today to get a comprehensive landscape maintenance quote.
