Trimming and pruning trees to maintain health or change their shape can be done at nearly any time. However, if your trees suffer damage from spring storms or high summer winds, you will need to invest in summer tree pruning.

Positives of Summer Tree Pruning

Once the weather heats up and your yard is dry, moving heavy equipment into your yard will be easier without the risk of bogging down. Your arborist can easily tell which branches are leafing out well and which branches need to come out.

If you’re working to improve the shape of a tree’s canopy, it may be easier to determine which branches are the healthiest while the tree is in full summer growth. For those who want to save any cut branches for firewood for fall and winter, you have the chance to stack it and let it dry before you need to split it.

Summer pruning may be safer if you have a tree at risk for a fungus or bacterial infection. Fungi and bacteria that can harm trees thrive in wet weather. Careful pruning and treatment for possible infection may be easier to apply when the heat is high and the humidity is low.

Negatives of Pruning Trees in High Summer

Hot work can be dangerous work. Your arborist will need to start early to tackle your pruning project before summer winds and temperatures become too intense. If your trees are infested with stinging insects, they will be active during the hottest months of summer. You may need to bring in a beekeeper or a pest control professional to treat the trees before the pruning can start.

A fully leafed branch may need to come out. These branches can be quite challenging to get to drop; if the tree has a thick canopy, a branch laden with leaves may catch or get hung up high inside the canopy. This branch may damage other branches on the way down or fall in a way the arborist didn’t expect.

High summer breezes on a warm afternoon can also make it tough to get ladders and other extension tools stabilized. Safety gear will add weight and heat to the work for your arborist. They may need several breaks on a tough pruning project.

While summer tree pruning presents risks and benefits, careful consideration must be given to ensure the safety of both arborists and the trees. If you need professional help trimming your Las Vegas, NV trees and shrubs, book an appointment with Benjamin’s Tree Service for your summer tree pruning projects.