When it comes down to it, tree trimming is all about the timing. Trim at the right time, and you'll be doing the tree a real favor — helping to boost its growth and prevent disease. Trim at the wrong time, and your efforts will basically have the opposite effect. Your tree's growth may be stunted, and it might get sick. So how do you know whether or not it is a good time to trim your tree? Well, you can start by asking yourself these questions.
1. Has the tree budded yet?
The best time to trim tree is in the early spring. But how early? Ideally, you want to trim before the tree starts getting its buds. If you allow the tree to bud and then you trim the buds away, the tree will have wasted its resources in producing its buds. You want to trim before budding so the tree has even more resources to produce more buds on the remaining branches. If you see buds on the tree, it's too late in the season to trim; wait until next year.
2. Is it wet and rainy outside?
You want to trim your tree on a relatively dry day. If it is wet and rainy outside, then rain water is going to flow right over all the fresh cuts you make in the wood. This could introduce pathogenic fungi or bacteria to the wounds, leading to an infection. Trees often struggle to recover from disease, so you want to do everything in your power to prevent disease. That means only trimming when rain is not expected for a few days.
3. Do you see a lot of insects around?
Take a general look at the tree and the surrounding area, and make sure you don't see swarms of bugs. If you do see a lot of moths or beetles, it's not a good time to trim the tree. Many tree diseases, including Dutch elm disease and thousand cankers disease, are spread by insects. By trimming the tree now, you are giving those insects a fast ticket to the inside of the tree! Wait until the insects have moved on, and if they do not move on, have your tree sprayed with insecticides before you trim.
Tree trimming can be healthy for the tree, but you need to be careful when you do it. Trim early in the spring, on a dry day, when there are few to no insects around.
To learn more about tree trimming, contact a company near you.