10 Plants You Should Never Prune During Spring

Tree pruning is not a year-round activity suitable for all types of species. Many trees cannot handle pruning in the spring when it is time for them to grow, bloom, and cover your landscape with colourful sceneries. Even a little trimming can reduce their growth and cause damage to the extent that prevents budding. For such plants, you just need to trim the dead or damaged wood and avoid touching the flower buds. Late summer, fall, or winter is the best season for tree pruning for such plants. This article explores ten species that do not require pruning in spring.

Avoid Pruning in Spring for These Ten Species

Lilacs

If you have lilacs in your garden, it’s essential to know when to prune them to ensure you get maximum flowers from the plant. Avoid pruning them in the early spring, as you will cut off the buds and reduce the number of flowers. It is best to trim them right after the spring in early summer when they finish flowering. Late summer or fall is also not the right time because you will cut off next year’s flowers.

Forsythia

This is also an early-flowering shrub that will lose its blooms if you prune it in spring. You can cut off the dead or damaged branches but leave the tender ones to thrive. If you want to maximize the flowers, perform tree pruning immediately after it finishes flowering in spring. This will give Forsythia enough time to prepare for new growth and develop flower buds.

Rhododendron

Although you can prune a rhododendron any time of year, the best time is a few weeks after it finishes blooming in the late spring. This gives them space to set flowers for the next year. This also ensures that the plant conserves its energy to produce foliage and not seeds.

Azalea

Consider pruning azalea in early summer when the plant finishes blooming. Otherwise, you will risk losing the flower buds. Remember to cut off the dead or diseased material before mid-summer and avoid the activity in the late summer or fall. This is when the azalea prepares its flower buds for next spring blooms. It helps to consult a tree pruning service as this is a time-sensitive activity, and the experts can help you get the best flower display.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckles are fast-growing shrubs with a honey-sweet fragrance. It is vital that you remove the dead, damaged, or diseased branches to keep them healthy and vigorous. Avoid pruning them in early spring and wait until the flowers fall in the late spring or summer.

Clematis

This is a beautiful perennial flowering vine loved for its long bloom times. If your clematis is in the first year, prune it in February or March to encourage a good structure. Otherwise, you should prune it after the flowers drop in the mid or late spring.

Birch Trees

Birch is a favourable tree due to its attractive bark and elegant foliage. However, it has a short lifespan, and you can increase its chances of living longer with proper tree pruning. Although you can prune birch in spring, it bleeds a heavy flow of sticky sap and makes the situation messy. So, the best time is late summer or early fall.

Maple Trees

Pruning maple is beneficial throughout its life stages as long as you do it correctly. Trimming in its early years sets up the health and shape of the tree in the later years. Maple oozes sap just as birch, so you should prune it in late spring or summer.

Elm Trees

You should strictly avoid pruning elm trees from April to August to limit the spread of Dutch elm disease. This is when the elm bark beetles are most active, and trimming during this time increases the chances of infestation by these insects.

Mock Orange

This plant has a pleasant scent similar to orange blossoms. The young buds grow into beautiful flowers during spring, so you should wait until the blooms fade away. Professional tree pruning services recommend trimming this plant in spring only when it overgrows. Although this will result in no flowers for one season, the plant will be healthier in the coming years.

Consider Us for Tree Pruning at the Right Time of the Year

DreamWorks Trees Services offer a complete range of tree pruning services for all types of shrubs, hedges, and trees, including:

• Removing dead and diseased branches
• Cutting branches that obstruct windows or entryways
• Thinning branches to allow more sunlight
• Trimming to ensure health and appearance
• Pruning mature trees at heights

If you are searching for “tree pruning near me” in Toronto, look no further. Call us or fill out our form. One of our certified arborists will get in touch with you.