“When is the best time to prune trees?” This is one of the most common questions I get asked. The truth is there aren’t many timing concerns for tree pruning in the Austin area.
Let’s start with the most common mistake I see people make about when to prune trees in Austin, Texas.You cannot adapt rules from other climates to Austin. If you go to the north east part of the country there are imporant guidelines. There, the dormant season is long and the trees are much taller. This means that bigger trees have less time to get all their growth cycles done. During the spring and fall months, trees in this area have intense sap flows. Pruning during these times will lead to bleeding wounds which leads to every insect and disease in the book. In Austin we don’t have this problem. Our seasons tend to run together; you can prune any time and not get bleeding wounds. Except with American Elms, these trees will produce bleeding wounds regardless of when you prune them.
The only concerns we have in Austin, Texas for when to prune trees is geared specifically around one tree diesase, oak wilt. There is one beetle know to spread the disease and it is active for only a few weeks during the spring. The timing of activity varies from year to year but it is generally always between March and May. The Texas Forest Service recommends you avoid wounding trees during this time. There adoption of this rule is based on concerns of homeowners capacity to understand and remember intricacies of the disease spread. If you are working with a professional who makes proper cuts and treats wounds, there is no risk of disease in pruning wounds.
In conclusion, the answer of “when to prune trees in Austin, Texas” can be answered by two sentances: If you hire a professional, knowledgeable arborist, you can prune any time. If you are doing the pruning yourself, avoid pruning between March and May.