SCHEDULE
Cherry & Plum trees are best pruned from April to July as they are susceptible to certain prevalent pathogens later in the year.
Winter pruning is desirable for most fruit trees to encourage strong growth the following spring, more flowers & more fruit. Spring & early summer pruning can be used to slow down the growth of trees or maintain smaller fruit trees. However, this may compromise the fruit.
Magnolias & Walnut trees should be pruned from June to October to avoid sap bleeding from pruning wounds. The trees are in a strong state of growth through this period so can occlude pruning wounds quickly.
Birch should be pruned from autumn to early winter to avoid excessive sap loss (bleeding).
Oak and many other species can be pruned early to mid- summer when they are in a strong state of growth and can occlude pruning wounds well. Alternatively, early winter is another acceptable time to prune when the trees are dormant. Late winter to early spring is generally a poor time for pruning – one exception to this is the Willow.
One of the critical considerations when pruning/ reducing trees is to assess the vigour of the tree and the amount of pruning desired. The maximum reduction of a healthy tree growing in good conditions should be 30%. If more than this is required or desired, a phased reduction should be considered to allow the tree to recover by producing more internal canopy growth. Pruning trees which are already under stress can quite easily send them into further decline.
Most large Conifers should be removed during winter months outside of bird nesting season, but should always be checked before any work. Frosty conditions should be avoided when trimming Conifers as this can result in large dead patches.
