The pros at John's Landscape Service offer shrub and tree care service at various times of the year. But many clients wonder about the best time to prune shrubs and trees. Should they book their pruning service now to clean up the fall garden, or wait for late winter and early spring to schedule this task? The answer depends on your desired end result.

What Fall Pruning Does for Your Shrubs

Hedge trimming , bush trimming and tree trimming can all be completed in the fall months, preferably before heavy frost sets in. This allows for hearty re-growth to establish before winter, providing an astonishing show in your spring garden. It pays off to think of pruning early, but in some cases this timing results in cold damage.
When your tree and shrub branches are pruned to encourage good health, the wood needs to harden off for optimum protection. As we get closer to true winter, your pruned branches have less time to harden off and the risk of cold damage increases. Avoid pruning sensitive species of trees and shrubs past November 1st.

What Late Winter Pruning Does for Your Shrubs

Spring rejuvenation provides the greatest advantage to late winter and early spring pruning. Your trees and shrubs are bursting with new growth at that time of year, and post-pruning growth reaches its peak in the months of February and March, provided the temperatures are not dipping too low overnight.

For most flowering shrubs, this time of year provides the ideal window. New growth will not eliminate the beautiful show of blooms set to happen in the spring, and pruning helps to concentrate energy and nutrients during that growth period. While fall pruning follows the same philosophy, harsh winter temperatures can spell trouble for pruned branches that remain unhardened.

Talk to the staff at John's Landscape Service about the best time to prune your Massachusetts trees and shrubs. Keep your landscape in pristine condition with regular maintenance by the pros at the right time of year.