Next: Can you still prune trees in summer? And which plants hate winter pruning?
Can You Still Prune Trees in Summer?
Yes — but summer pruning should mostly be for immediate needs, not big structural work.
Good reasons to prune outside winter:
- Removing clearly dead or broken branches
- Trimming branches blocking traffic signs, sidewalks, or driveways
- Branches scraping roofs, gutters, windows, or siding
- Cleaning up storm damage
Summer is also sometimes used for:
- Size control on very vigorous species (light thinning to slow growth)
- Light shaping on smaller ornamental trees once they’ve finished blooming
But big, heavy pruning jobs on mature trees are usually safer and healthier if done in late winter.
What You Shouldn’t Prune in Winter
Some plants absolutely hate being cut back in winter — because you’ll be cutting off their flower buds.
Skip Winter Pruning For These:
- Spring-flowering shrubs that set buds in fall, like:
- Lilacs
- Forsythia
- Many hydrangeas (depending on type)
- Smaller magnolias
- Certain viburnums
These typically form flower buds on last year’s growth. If you cut them hard in winter, you’ll still have a shrub — but probably no flowers.
General rule of thumb for flowering shrubs:
- If it blooms in spring → prune right after it flowers, not in winter.
- If it blooms in summer on new growth → late winter or early spring pruning is usually fine.
Use Caution With These, Too
- Bleeding trees like maples, birches, and walnuts may “bleed” sap heavily with late-winter cuts. It’s usually not fatal, but some people prefer light pruning just after leaf-out instead.
- Evergreens (spruce, fir, pine) don’t respond to heavy winter pruning the same way deciduous trees do. Light shaping is fine; major reductions should be planned with an arborist.
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