Spring is a season full of growth, blossoming flowers, and fresh greenery, but when it comes to pruning trees and shrubs in Northern Colorado, it’s not the best time to grab your shears. While many homeowners feel that spring is the perfect time to tidy up their landscapes, pruning during this season can actually do more harm than good for your plants. Let’s explore why spring should be a pause on pruning and why winter, summer, and fall are better times to prune your trees and shrubs.
Spring Energy Investment: Pruning Disrupts Growth
In the spring, trees and shrubs are waking up after a long winter dormancy. This is the time when they begin to invest a lot of energy into pushing out new growth, setting new leaves, and preparing flowers and fruit. Pruning during this critical period can divert energy away from these important processes, hindering your plants’ ability to thrive. Essentially, they need to put their energy toward a return on investment (ROI) in the form of healthy growth, and pruning in spring can interfere with that.
By avoiding pruning in spring, you allow your plants to fully focus on their natural growth cycle, setting themselves up for a successful season of blooms and fruit production.
Spring Pruning Can Lead to Insect and Disease Problems
Another downside to pruning in spring is that it can make your trees and shrubs more vulnerable to pests and pathogens. Whether its insects looking for fresh sap or diseases looking for susceptible hosts, pruning in spring can open the door to unwanted problems that could harm your plants.
When Is the Right Time to Prune?
The good news is that pruning can be done at any other times of the year, just avoid those critical months in the spring, which include April, May, and the first half of June. While some pruning objectives may require pruning in certain seasons, most general pruning tasks can be done in the winter, summer, or fall—just not in the spring.
Winter is an excellent time to prune trees and shrubs because they are dormant and not actively growing. Summer is a great time for maintenance pruning and deadwood removal, as the plants have already expended their energy in spring and can handle some selective trimming. Fall is another good time for pruning, as plants are winding down and won’t lose energy to regrowth.
The Northern Colorado Context: A Regional Perspective
It’s important to note that this advice applies specifically to Northern Colorado, including areas such as Wellington, Fort Collins, Timnath, and Windsor. While some regions of the country may have different recommendations based on their climate, the principle of not pruning in spring holds true for this part of Colorado.
Don’t Wait—Prune Now!
As we move through winter, now is the ideal time to take care of pruning needs before the rush of spring growth. For those who like their landscape to look neat and tidy for the new season, it’s important to plan your pruning now, rather than waiting for spring. Winter pruning prepares your trees and shrubs for a healthy and vigorous season ahead while avoiding the potential damage that can be caused by pruning in the spring.
Remember, spring is a time for your plants to focus on growing and flourishing. Avoid pruning in the spring by calling your local Certified Arborist today at Lawn Doctor of Fort Collins for a Free Winter Pruning Quote.
