Pruning is the process of trimming a shrub in order to remove badly damaged or diseased branches and maintain the shrub’s shape and size. Pruning can keep the shrubs in your lawn beautiful and healthy, but only if it’s done at the right time. When should you contact a Denver tree service company to prune the shrubs in your lawn? Here’s a helpful guide to pruning through the seasons:

Summer Pruning

Pruning in the summer is necessary in certain situations. First, summer pruning may be required to maintain the neat and orderly look of manicured hedges. It’s recommended that you prune these manicured hedges before they grow six to eight inches from the last time they were pruned. If you have any shrubs that are not manicured, it’s best to prune these once during the winter and again in the middle of the summer.

There are also certain flowering shrubs that should be pruned in the summer. Avoid pruning any shrubs that flower during the summer. If you prune summer-flowering shrubs, it’s very possible that you will accidentally remove the buds that are about to open up.

However, it is safe to prune spring-flowering shrubs as long as you do so in the early summer. Why does it matter? The forsythia is one of many spring-flowering bushes that may be planted in your yard. This plant blooms in the beginning of spring, then forms new buds during the summer that will open during the following spring. In order to safely prune these plants, wait until the flowers that bloomed in the spring have faded. Do it as soon as possible after these flowers have faded so you can prune before the new buds that will open next year begin to grow. Pruning in the early summer also gives plants like these enough time to heal before winter hits.

Be mindful of the weather if you decide to prune your shrubs during the summer. Ideally, you should avoid pruning shrubs during a heat wave since extreme temperatures can put stress on a plant. Wait until temperatures have leveled off before you begin to trim the shrubs in your lawn.

Has it been raining? If so, do not prune your shrubs until at least 48 hours has passed. Pruning wet landscaping can leave your plants vulnerable to fungal diseases.

Fall Pruning

Many experts recommend that you do not prune during the fall because it can do more harm than good during this season. Why? Pruning stimulates growth, but it also injures the shrub. When a plant is trimmed, it immediately begins to use its energy to create new tissue to heal the wound created by pruning. But during the fall, plants are using their energy to prepare to go dormant during the winter. If you prune during the fall, you are basically asking the plant to allocate some of its precious energy to healing the wound. As a result, the plant may wind up severely weakened and unprepared for winter. Read more about why it’s important to stop pruning in the fall.

Winter Pruning

Winter is the most popular season for pruning. Many shrubs are dormant during the winter, so pruning them during this season will ensure that they experience fast regrowth once spring rolls around. It’s also much easier to prune deciduous shrubs during the winter because all of their leaves are gone, which allows you to get a clear view of the shape of the plant.

Pruning in the winter is also a smart choice if you’re worried about pest infestations. Pests are not nearly as active in the winter as they are in the warmer seasons, so you won’t have to worry about them being attracted to your freshly pruned shrubs.

To maximize the benefits of pruning during the winter, it’s best to wait until the coldest part of the season has passed. Take a look at historical temperatures to see which parts of winter are the coldest to determine when you should begin pruning.

Spring Pruning

If you didn’t get a chance to prune your shrubs during the winter season, then do so in the early spring when the shrubs are still dormant. The leaves should still be off of deciduous shrubs in the early stages of spring, so you should find it fairly easy to identify areas that need to be pruned.

If you want to prune a shrub that blooms during the spring, it’s imperative to research whether the flower is produced on old or new growth. If flowers bloom from buds that were formed during the previous year, then you should not prune them at this time. However, if the flowers bloom from new buds that form in the spring, it’s safe to prune these shrubs while they are still dormant in early spring.

Before pruning summer blooming shrubs, make sure that there is no frost in the forecast. Frost can stress shrubs, which makes it harder for them to heal after being trimmed. Be sure to wait until the weather has slightly warmed up before trimming any summer blooming shrubs.

The Benefits of Calling A Professional

Pruning may seem simple, but as you can see, there are many rules that must be followed in order to keep the shrubs in your yard in good shape. For this reason, it’s best to call a professional instead of pruning on your own. A professional will know the best times to prune each of the shrubs in your yard so you don’t have to worry about accidentally cutting off buds or weakening your plants by trimming them at the wrong time.

Are you interested in learning more about seasonal shrub pruning? If so, contact the professionals. Arbor Garden is a locally owned and operated tree services company that specializes in tree pruning, removing, stump removal, planting, and pest management. Our team will be able to answer your questions and determine how we can help preserve the beauty of your greenery. Contact us today to learn more about our services and receive a free estimate.