When fall weather sits in, many homeowners spend a fair amount of time out in their landscape. You have to rake leaves, cut back dead growth, and generally clean up your landscape to prep for winter. It’s only natural to think about pruning your shrubs. But we encourage you to pause. Fall shrub pruning in Salt Lake County and most places is usually best avoided. Read on to learn why.
Fall Shrub Pruning in Salt Lake County – Be Cautious
There are several pieces of advice we have to offer on pruning shrubs in the fall, including:
1. Plants go dormant to prepare for winter.
Your shrubs are doing more than just dropping leaves, they are going dormant for the winter. By pulling back their sap they prevent it from freezing and damaging the plant. If they are sending sap up the plant in response to pruning, that sap can freeze.
2. Trimming shrubs can cause sap to go to the cut.
When you remove a piece of a shrub the shrub’s natural response is to stimulate new growth at that point. The new growth requires sap, which is why the shrub is likely to send sap towards wherever you trimmed. Granted, the day needs to be above a certain temperature, but it’s best not to risk it.
3. Wait till the dead of winter or even better, the spring.
There may be a part of your shrub that is driving you crazy – you just can’t wait to cut it off. Try to be patient and wait until at least the middle of winter. By that point, the plant has gone dormant and will not push sap towards your trimming.
The best time for shrub pruning in Salt Lake County and the surrounding areas is spring. After they bloom, you can go to town with your pruning efforts.
4. Try to avoid too much pruning.
Pruning is an art and a science. It can be helpful but too much can be harmful. Try to avoid pruning just to prune. Instead, only do it when necessary.
5. Ask us about shrub pruning!
Tree Co. is staffed by shrub pruning experts. We can answer all of your questions about pruning and trimming shrubs – and we can do it for you at a reasonable price. Instead of having to guess about how to prune or how much to prune, let us take care of it.
Interested in Shrub Pruning in Salt Lake County and the Surrounding Areas?
If so, please give us a call at (801) 386-2405 or fill out our secure online contact form. One of our team members will contact you as soon as possible to answer your questions and schedule an estimate. We look forward to speaking with you and helping you solve all of your tree trimming and shrub pruning problems.