Best time to prune Oak.

[jamesfwpurdy]

Hi everyone, just a quick question about when to prune branches on Large Oak trees.

 

I had decided to do it when I coppiced our hornbeam thinking it was a similar idea, when the sap is down etc. My father (owner of the trees so best keep him happy) read somewhere that its best to take the branches off when they are activly growing.

 

I am now confused about when to do it as I don't want to damage the tree by doing it incorrectly.

 

Any advice would be great thankyou.

[paygan]

isn't the prunus thing more to do with blight infection??

[treeseer]

I have to admit, they only time I prune trees at certain times to achieve growing objectives is when I do my own ones!

True it can be hard to schedule, but where this comes into play is maybe going light in the off season and sell a return visit for a major [prune when it's best.

 

Nothing wrong with getting back on the property...

[ADB328]

i would agree that a prune in the growing season is a better alternative, as pruning now and in the winter months leaves the tree with a wound that it is not actively able to protect and begin to compartmentalise. The summer pruning, although it may induce some bleeding, which is just rising sap, IMO is a much better choice as the tree can begin to deal with the wound ASAP and it can 'seal off' the area from pathogens that would take advantage of the dormant tree to break through compartment barriers to decay the tree.

 

This!

[easy-lift guy]

Before the flush of new Spring growth, however since we have a year round growing season for the most part, one can prune lightly nearly year round in the Sunshine state.

easy-lift guy