When to trim your tree (timing matters more than you think)

The number one mistake homeowners make with tree trimming isn’t how they cut. It’s when they cut. Prune an oak in April and you’re rolling out the welcome mat for oak wilt. Trim a flowering cherry after the buds set and you just wiped out this year’s blossoms. Cut into a maple in late winter and it bleeds sap like a faucet for weeks.

Timing your pruning correctly is free. It costs nothing extra. And it makes the difference between a tree that heals fast and thrives, and one that struggles or gets sick. Here’s exactly when to prune every common yard tree, species by species.

The general rule: dormant season is best

For most deciduous trees, the best time to prune is during dormancy, after the leaves have dropped and before new buds swell in spring. In Northern California, that window runs roughly from late November through mid-February. In colder zones (4-6), it can extend through early March since bud break happens later.

Dormant pruning has three real advantages.

You can actually see what you’re doing. Without leaves blocking your view, crossing branches, dead wood, and structural problems jump out at you. I’ve found broken branches in December that were completely hidden by foliage in July. Trying to make structural cuts on a leafed-out tree is like cutting someone’s hair while they’re wearing a hat.

The tree isn’t pushing sap. During dormancy, metabolic activity drops to near zero. Wounds seal faster when growth resumes in spring because the tree can direct energy to compartmentalization (the process of walling off wounds) immediately. According to ISA research, trees pruned during dormancy compartmentalize wounds 20-30% faster than those pruned during active growth.

Disease organisms and insect pests are dormant too. An open pruning wound in January has weeks to begin closing before the fungi, bacteria, and beetles that cause infection become active in warmer weather. This is the single biggest reason dormant pruning prevents disease. The wound gets a head start.

One important note: dormant doesn’t mean frozen. If temperatures are below 20 degrees F, the wood becomes brittle and cuts tear rather than slice clean. Wait for a mild day.

Oaks: November through March, no exceptions

This one is non-negotiable. Oaks (Quercus spp.) should only be pruned between November and March. The reason is oak wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum, spread by nitidulid sap beetles (Nitidulidae). These beetles are attracted to fresh pruning wounds and the sap that oozes from them. They carry fungal spores from infected trees and deposit them directly into fresh cuts.

The beetles are active from April through October, with peak activity in April and May when temperatures hit 60-70 degrees F. A fresh cut on an oak in May is basically a dinner bell.

One infection can kill a mature red oak (Quercus rubra) in a single season. White oaks and live oaks are more resistant but not immune. They can linger for years, declining slowly, which almost makes it worse because you keep hoping they’ll recover.

In Northern California, coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) and valley oaks (Quercus lobata) are everywhere. Blue oaks (Quercus douglasii) dominate the foothills. All three are UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars, and all three need zero summer irrigation once established. Blue oak is the most drought-tolerant of the group, growing in thin, rocky foothill soils where nothing else survives. Valley oak prefers deeper valley soils with some access to groundwater. Coast live oak sits somewhere in between, handling full sun to part shade in a range of soil types. If you have any of these, mark your calendar: no pruning between April 1 and October 31. No exceptions. Not even removing one small branch.

If a branch breaks in a summer storm, paint the wound with pruning sealer or latex paint immediately. Within 15 minutes if you can manage it. The goal is to cover the exposed sapwood before beetles find it. This is the one scenario where pruning sealer actually has a legitimate use. For storm damage cleanup, see our guide on tree care after a storm.

How trees actually heal (and why timing matters)

Trees don’t heal the way people do. A wound on your arm generates new skin that closes over the cut. Trees can’t do that. Instead, they compartmentalize: they wall off the damaged area with chemical barriers and then grow new wood over it. The old wound stays inside the tree forever.

This process depends on the tree actively growing. When you prune during dormancy, the tree starts compartmentalizing as soon as spring growth kicks in. The wound gets sealed under new growth quickly. Prune in midsummer during a heat wave and the tree is already stressed, diverting energy to cooling itself rather than sealing wounds.

The branch collar (that slightly swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk) contains specialized cells that drive this compartmentalization. Cut flush against the trunk and you destroy those cells. Cut too far out and you leave a stub that dies back and becomes an entry point for decay. The correct cut is just outside the branch collar, angled slightly away from the trunk. Every cut you make should respect that collar.

Flowering trees: know when they set buds

Flowering trees follow a different rule. The timing depends entirely on when the tree sets its flower buds.

Spring-blooming trees set their flower buds the previous summer and fall. These buds sit on the branches all winter, waiting. If you prune in winter, you’re cutting off the buds that were going to bloom in April. Prune these trees right after they finish blooming, usually in late spring. You get the full flower show, and the tree has all summer to set new buds for next year.

Spring bloomers include:

• Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), zones 5-8: prune right after petals drop, usually late April
• Dogwood (Cornus florida), zones 5-9: prune in late May or early June
• Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), zones 4-9: prune immediately after bloom in April. Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis), the California native and UC Davis Arboretum All-Star, follows the same timing. It handles drought and poor soil better than the Eastern species and tops out at 10-18 feet, making it ideal for smaller NorCal yards
• Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), zones 5-9: prune after spring bloom; avoid fall pruning
• Flowering crabapple (Malus spp.), zones 4-8: prune after bloom, also remove water sprouts anytime

Summer-blooming trees bloom on new growth that forms in spring. You can prune these in late winter before growth starts and they’ll still bloom on schedule. The new growth that emerges after pruning will carry the flowers.

Summer bloomers include:

• Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), zones 7-10: late February is the sweet spot. A UC Davis Arboretum All-Star that thrives in full sun and Sacramento Valley heat. It needs only occasional deep watering once established and tolerates most soil types. Our guide to trimming crepe myrtle trees covers exactly how to do it without committing crepe murder
• Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), zones 6-9: late February to early March
• Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum), zones 5-8: late winter
• Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), zones 5-9: late February, cut back hard if you want

If you’re not sure when your flowering tree blooms, watch it for one full year and note the timing. Then prune within two to three weeks after the flowers fade. That rule covers almost everything.

Evergreen trees: late winter to early spring

Evergreen conifers like pines (Pinus spp.), spruces (Picea spp.), and cedars (Cedrus spp.) are best pruned in late winter or very early spring, just before the new growth flush. On pines, the new growth emerges as “candles” in spring. You can pinch these candles back by half in late April or May to control size without leaving visible cut marks. The tree fills in naturally.

For spruces and firs, prune in late winter. Cut back to a lateral branch or bud. Never cut into bare wood on a conifer because most conifers (except yews) won’t regenerate from old wood. If you cut a pine branch back to a bare section, that’s it. Nothing grows back. Plan accordingly.

Live oaks are technically evergreen but follow the oak wilt rules above, not the general evergreen timing. This trips up a lot of people.

Broadleaf evergreens like Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and holly (Ilex spp.) can be pruned in late winter or after their spring growth flush hardens off, usually by late June. Southern magnolias are touchy about heavy pruning. Take no more than 25% of the canopy in a single year.

Fruit trees: dormant season, with some exceptions

Most fruit trees are pruned during winter dormancy. The reasoning is the same as for shade trees: less disease pressure, better visibility, faster wound response in spring. But timing within the dormant window matters more for fruit trees because you’re also managing fruit production.

Apple and pear trees (zones 4-8): Prune in January or February. These fruit on short spurs that produce for years, so learn to identify spur wood before you start cutting. Remove water sprouts (those vertical whips shooting straight up) and any branches growing inward. Keep the center open for air circulation and light. A well-pruned apple tree looks like an open vase.

Peach, nectarine, and apricot trees (zones 5-9): Prune in late January through February. These fruit on one-year-old wood, so they need more aggressive annual pruning than apples. Remove about 40% of last year’s growth each winter. In Northern California, February is ideal because you’re past the worst frost risk but before bud swell. While you’re at it, February is also the time to fertilize your fruit trees.

Plum trees (zones 4-9): Prune in late winter. Japanese plums need more thinning than European plums. Both fruit on spurs and one-year wood.

Sweet cherry trees (zones 5-7): This is the exception. Sweet cherries are prone to bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), which enters through pruning wounds during cool, wet weather. Prune cherries in late summer after harvest, when it’s dry and warm. The tree seals wounds fast in warm conditions, and the bacteria are less active.

Fig trees (zones 7-10): Prune in late winter. Figs are tough. They bounce back from hard pruning and fruit on new growth, so don’t be shy. If your fig got too tall, cut it back by a third and it’ll fill right back in.

Citrus trees (zones 9-11): Citrus doesn’t follow the dormant pruning rule because the trees are essentially evergreen and growing year-round. Light pruning (removing suckers, dead twigs, crossing branches) can happen any time. Major structural pruning is best done in early spring after the last frost risk but before summer heat arrives. In Sacramento, that’s late March to mid-April.

Maples: avoid the late-winter sap flow

Maples (Acer spp.) pruned in late January through early March bleed sap heavily from pruning wounds. This sap flow isn’t dangerous to the tree (it’s the same thing that produces maple syrup), but it looks alarming, attracts wasps and ants, and makes a sticky mess on anything below.

The best time to prune maples is late fall (November to early December) after the leaves drop, or mid to late summer (July to August) after the spring growth has hardened off. Avoid the late-winter sap flow window and you’ll have a much cleaner result.

If you do prune during sap flow, the tree will survive. The sap flow stops on its own once the tree leafs out. But there’s no reason to deal with the mess when you can just time it better. For more on the maple family and their specific needs, our guide to maple tree types breaks down the most popular species for home landscapes.

Birches: summer pruning to avoid borers

Birch trees (Betula spp.) are susceptible to bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius), a metallic green beetle whose larvae tunnel under the bark and can kill a tree within a few years. The adults are attracted to fresh pruning wounds. They’re most active from May through July.

Prune birches in late summer (August) or early fall (September) when borer activity drops off. Avoid winter and spring pruning entirely. If you have a river birch (Betula nigra), zones 4-9, you’re in better shape since it has natural borer resistance. But still time your pruning for late summer to be safe.

Elms: fall and winter to dodge Dutch elm disease

Elms (Ulmus spp.) should be pruned in late fall through winter (November to February) to avoid elm bark beetles (Scolytus multistriatus and Hylurgopinus rufipes), which spread Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi). The beetles are active from spring through early fall, peaking in June and July.

If you have an American elm (Ulmus americana) or a hybrid elm, the November to February window is safe. Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia), which are common in Northern California, have natural resistance to Dutch elm disease but not immunity. Chinese elm is a UC Davis Arboretum All-Star that handles Sacramento Valley heat and clay soils well. It grows 40-60 feet tall in full sun, needs only moderate water once established, and develops attractive mottled bark that shows off in winter. Still prune in winter.

Structural pruning for young trees

Young trees need more frequent, lighter pruning than mature trees. The goal is to establish a strong central leader (one main vertical trunk) and remove branches that will become problems later. This is called structural pruning, and it’s the most cost-effective tree work you’ll ever do.

Start structural pruning in the second or third year after planting. Here’s the priority list:

1. Remove competing leaders. If two branches are fighting to be the main trunk, pick the stronger one and cut the other back. Co-dominant stems (two trunks of equal size growing in a V) are the number one cause of tree failure in storms. Fix it now while it’s a 5-minute job.

2. Remove crossing and rubbing branches. Branches that touch each other wear through bark, creating wounds. Pick the better-placed branch and remove the other.

3. Establish branch spacing. Permanent scaffold branches should be spaced 12-18 inches apart vertically along the trunk. Two branches originating from the same point create a weak junction. Remove one.

4. Raise the canopy gradually. Remove lower branches over several years, not all at once. Each winter, take off the lowest tier. By the time the tree is 10-12 feet tall, the canopy should be high enough to walk under and clear of any structures.

Getting the structure right when the tree is young means you won’t need expensive corrective pruning on a mature tree later. Ten minutes with hand pruners on a 6-foot tree saves $500-$800 in arborist fees on a 30-foot tree. For more basics on making proper cuts, check out our full tree trimming tips guide.

The right tools for the job

Using the wrong tool makes bad cuts. Bad cuts heal slowly. Slowly healing cuts invite disease. So this matters more than you might think.

Hand pruners (bypass type): For branches up to 3/4 inch diameter. Felco F-2 or Corona BP 3180 are the standards. Skip anvil pruners for live wood; they crush stems instead of slicing clean.

Loppers: For branches 3/4 inch to 1-1/2 inches. The extra leverage makes a big difference. Get bypass loppers, not anvil.

Pruning saw: For branches 1-1/2 inches to about 4 inches. A curved-blade pull saw like the Silky Gomtaro cuts fast and clean. For anything you can reach from the ground, a folding saw works fine.

Pole pruner: For branches up to 12-15 feet high. A telescoping pole with a bypass pruner head and a small saw blade. The Fiskars chain-drive model cuts up to 1-1/4 inch branches overhead.

Anything bigger than 4 inches or higher than 15 feet: Call a certified arborist. Period. Chainsaws on ladders kill homeowners every year. That’s not an exaggeration. Read about why tree trimming safety matters before you decide to DIY a big job. And here’s a guide on how to find the right arborist for your specific situation.

Keep all tools sharp and clean. Dull blades tear bark. Wipe blades with rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution between trees, especially if you’re pruning near a tree with visible disease. Disinfecting sounds like overkill until you spread fire blight from one apple tree to the next.

The three-cut method for larger branches

Any branch thicker than about 1-1/2 inches needs the three-cut method to prevent bark tearing. If you just cut from the top, the weight of the branch tears a strip of bark down the trunk as it falls. I’ve seen foot-long bark tears from a single bad cut on an oak. That wound took years to close.

Here’s the method:

1. Undercut first. About 12-18 inches from the trunk, cut upward from the bottom of the branch, going about a third of the way through.

2. Top cut second. A few inches further out from your undercut, cut down from the top. The branch will break cleanly at the undercut. No bark tearing.

3. Final cut. Now remove the remaining stub with a clean cut just outside the branch collar. Angle slightly away from the trunk.

This takes 30 extra seconds and prevents damage that takes years to heal.

Emergency pruning: any time of year

Dead, damaged, or dangerous branches can and should be removed at any time of year regardless of species. A broken limb hanging over your walkway doesn’t need to wait until November. Safety always overrides the calendar.

For storm damage specifically, act fast but act smart. Remove hanging branches that threaten people or property. Leave fallen branches that aren’t causing immediate danger until you can assess the full situation, ideally with an arborist. Trees that lose more than 50% of their canopy in a storm often aren’t worth saving. An arborist can tell you whether investing in recovery is realistic or whether you’re better off with tree removal.

When NOT to prune

A few situations where the best pruning decision is to leave the saw in the garage:

• During a drought. Pruning removes leaves that produce food for the tree. A drought-stressed tree needs every leaf it has. Wait until conditions improve.
• Right after planting. New transplants need their full canopy to photosynthesize and establish roots. Don’t prune at planting unless you’re removing damaged or dead branches. Wait until the second or third year.
• During active disease. If your tree has fire blight, canker, or another active infection, pruning can spread it. Wait until dormancy or consult an arborist first.
• More than 25% of the canopy in a single year. Removing too much at once triggers a stress response. The tree sends out a flush of weak, fast-growing water sprouts. Spread heavy pruning over two to three years.

Quick reference by species

Tree	Best pruning time	Why
Oak (all types)	November - March	Avoid oak wilt beetles (active April-October)
Maple	Nov - Dec or July - Aug	Avoid late-winter sap bleed
Flowering cherry/dogwood/redbud	Right after bloom	Buds set on old wood
Crepe myrtle	Late February	Blooms on new growth
Apple/pear	January - February	Dormant; before bud swell
Peach/nectarine/apricot	Late Jan - February	Dormant; after worst frost risk
Sweet cherry	Late summer after harvest	Avoid bacterial canker
Fig	Late winter	Fruits on new wood; tolerates hard pruning
Citrus	Early spring (light anytime)	Evergreen; avoid frost and heat extremes
Pine/spruce/cedar	Late winter before candles	Before new growth flush
Birch	Late summer - early fall	Avoid bronze birch borer (active May-July)
Elm	November - February	Avoid elm bark beetles (active spring-fall)

The bottom line

Every species on this list has a window where pruning does the most good and the least harm. Stick to those windows and your trees will heal faster, produce more flowers and fruit, and stay healthier year after year. Miss them, and you’re paying for problems that were completely avoidable.

If your spring pruning plans are sorted, check out our full spring tree care checklist for everything else your trees need as the weather warms up. And if you’re trying to manage a yard’s worth of different trees, consider scheduling a walkthrough with a local ISA-certified arborist. A one-time consultation ($150-$300) gives you a pruning plan for every tree on your property, with exact timing and priorities. That’s money well spent.