4 Reasons for Summer Tree Pruning

Even though most people prefer to do their pruning around winter time, performing tree pruning during summer does have its benefits, especially for fruit trees and trees that need damage control.  Also instead of being out in the cold trying to shape a tree most people tend to enjoy their tree pruning during the better weather months that we have in Portland, OR.

Here are 4 reasons to keep in mind during tree trimming and pruning during the summer months.  Keep in mind that each situation can be unique so feel free to talk to our Portland Arborist in order to help with their experience and tips.

Benefits of Tree Pruning During the Summer Months

1. Benefits the Growth of Fruit Trees – Fruit trees are the trees that benefit the most from Summer Pruning.  Cutting branches and leaves that aren’t needed will inherently let more sunlight to infiltrate and hit the branches that need more development.  Portland tree pruning done the right way can also benefit trees to grow bigger fruit of better quality.  As we know trees are living and breathing so less wasted resources on branches that bring no benefit means more air and light to the healthy parts of the tree. It is highly recommended to prune cherry and apricot trees during the late summer months of July and August because if trimming is done during the rainy season then it increases the chances of these types to contract diseases.  Plum, Nectarine, and Peach trees also receive benefits from summer time pruning. These tend to grow quickly and tall fast but often don’t provide the proper development of strong branches. Pruning them during the summer can increase the growth of sturdy limbs and leave you with better quality fruit.  It’s always good to speak with a Portland tree pruning specialist to help you with your specific fruit tree.
2. Get Rid of Dead Branches – Tree pruning during the summer is vital because it leaves us with the advantage of being able to remove diseased, dying, or damaged tree branches.  Keep in mind that the point of removing a damaged tree limb is to keep it from causing further damage to the rest of your tree. By getting rid of the dying limbs we increase the resources that will go towards better growth.  We also reduce the chance of the dying branch falling off and potentially causing damage to you, your family or property by anticipating controlling when it comes off by cutting it off ourselves.
3. Prevent Pest Invasion – Preventing a pest invasion would be the only benefit on its own in order to encourage someone to do summer tree pruning. We need to identify any limbs or fruit that have signs of pest bites or damage and remove them in order to protect the rest of the healthy tree.  You are also preventing pests from invading the rest of your fruit trees leaving you with quality and scrumptious fruit for you and your family to enjoy. Also it is very important to dispose of these pest invaded branches and fruits far away so that the pests aren’t free to comeback in infest your tree again, please do not compost them on your property.
4. Increased Growth –  Another benefit of pruning during the summer is that it is during a time of growth.  Our Portland Arborists recommends that the proper way to prune weak branch growth by pruning 3 inches from the end of each leafy shoot.  It’s recommended to repeat the pruning process after a few months if there is fast shoot growth occurring.

Summer Time Tree Pruning: Things to Consider

Tree Pruning during the Summer time is mostly to help give the tree a solid base and to shape it up since it’s easier to give it shape while the leaves are out as opposed to winter time pruning.  Although during the winter time it is better to do a more extensive pruning because it puts less stress on the tree. Keep in mind that if you are going to be trimming off some limbs it is best to do it during the early summer, this way it has time to heal.  If you do it too late in the season then the tree becomes at risk for water damage and with water comes a higher chance of fungi and diseases developing.

If you still have not decided if or when to prune or how much to cut or which limbs to cut you can always contact us here at R&H Tree Service. We are a professional and reputable Portland Tree Pruning Company.

This post first appeared on https://rhtreeservice.com