Our gardens often get little TLC in the winter months, with most of our plants being dormant, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do in the garden. Our team of tree surgeons have certainly been busy in January, so there is nothing stopping you getting out there and doing some gardening.
But, when actually is the best time to prune a tree?
The best time is anywhere between late autumn and winter, so November – February are the ideal times. As plants loose a lot of their leaves in this period it makes it much easier to see which branches you actually want to trim back and remove.
It’s also the ideal time as your plants are mostly dormant, so you won’t interrupt their growth but instead encourage fresh, healthy shoots to grow come the spring. As a reminder, pruning your plants may decrease their size for a short while, but it actually encourages them to grow back bigger and bushier than ever when the weather gets warmer.
We typically prune our trees between the end of January and the middle of February, just before we start to think about what we will be putting in the garden this year. As Britain’s weather can be unpredictable we avoid leaving it any later than mid-February, just in case we get a warm March – we want to ensure all of our plants are pruned and prepared for the season before the warmer weather hits.
You can of course prune a hedge, bush of tree at any time of year and this won’t damage your plant in any way. If for example you just want to tidy up some stray branches, or cut back any new growths that are growing in a direction you don’t want, that’s absolutely fine, it’s just that you’re not going to see as much new growth as you do when pruning pre-spring.
Of course any dead or damaged leaves should always be removed throughout the year too, in order for your plants to be in their best condition and thrive.
Other Gardening Jobs to Carry Out in the Winter
Despite a lot of tree surgery jobs being carried out in the summer months, we’ve previously mentioned that the winter months are the best time to actually carry out these tasks. Why? Well you won’t be spending as much time outdoors so it’s the perfect time to create a bit of mess in the garden (our tree surgeons do always ensure gardens are left tidy after work is carried out though).
There are other reasons too, such as a lot of trees loosing their leaves, making it easier to prune them in the best way possible to encourage healthy growth in the spring. And of course if you get all of these jobs sorted at the start of the year, your garden will flourish come the summer months.
If you’re thinking of hiring a tree surgeon over the winter months, you can read more about our top tree services to carry out in the winter here.