You have the trees you love planted on your property, and you have been loving watching them grow into beautiful natural habitat for your family and the newly attracted wildlife. Now you are wondering how you can start to shape them so they not only look great but stay healthy and grow as strong as they can. You know which branches to trim and where to place your cuts. You have your tools ready. BUT WAIT! Is this the right time?

If you are reading this shortly after its posting in January, you are in luck! You could probably go out right now and start trimming. Maybe today is too cold, or you are buried so deep in snow that you cannot get to your trees or accurately judge their height. Well, you have about 3-4 more months to find the time.

Most tree trimming should be done when they are in dormancy. There are exceptions, which I will cover later. If you are trimming to rid your trees and shrubs of unwanted branches, then you want them to be dormant. It also helps to protect the exposed cuts from pests. There aren't many insects out chomping on your trees in the winter here in ND. Trimming in dormancy also prevents the tree from sprouting out another branch right where you have just cut. Trimming an aggressive growing species during growing season can have unwanted consequences. The tree may then grow multiple branches in the place where you are trying to prevent growth. This also forces the tree into protection mode sucking much needed resources away from desired growth to protecting in jury.

For the most part, trimming in colder dormant months will not require any sort of treatment to be applied to the cuts. Since the cold has taken care of the pests and disease, and the tree is not actively growing.

You may wish to make small cuts to stimulate new or thicker growth in certain areas. This sort of trimming is best done just as the tree or shrub is entering active growth season. A trim at the end of a new bud can stimulate the tree to produce multiple buds in that place. Often used on Spruce trees or other conifers to encourage thicker habit.

Keep those tools clean and sharp.

If you have decided that you now need more trees call, email or book a consult here on our site.  Tree Rows 4 U  We can help you find just the right tree(s), provide them to you, plant them for you, and even help you get irrigation, weed barrier, mulch, stakes or other installations you may need to help them on their way.

Helping You Grow, Row by Row.