Pruning trees in summer?

[CARS]

I am losing skin every time I mow my yard this year

Can I remove a few limbs this time of the year? (June for those that will read this using the search feature in the future)

I am sick of ducking and getting ripped up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Probably. What variety of trees are you talking about? There may be some consequences.

 

[CARS]

I've got quite the assortment. A few walnuts, hackberrys, oak, cottonwood, and various evergreens.

Years ago I remember my dad using a tar like substance on trees that he limbed. Wasn't that used to seal the open tree?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I came up with a few links for you, all from Colorado State. I have removed limbs from trees year round when I have a need, usually with no serious ill effects, but I am not an expert and wanted to see what the experts had to say. I do try to do my pruning in winter when I can but it doesn't always work out that way.

I once read something I like. Certain times may be better to do certain things than others, but often the best time to do something is when you can.

I thought the write-up on the pruning cottonwoods in summer would be interesting, especially the part on sealing paint not being required. I'd assume that was true for all trees and not just cottonwoods.

Pruning evergreens
http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/618.pdf

Pruning Mature Shade Trees
http://cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/616.pdf

When to Prune
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1730.html

Q: My daughter planted a pair of cottonwoods on both sides of a horse jump. It was a silly idea, but she did it anyway. The cottonwoods have now almost grown together, rendering the jump unusable. I know that summer isn't the ideal time to prune, but it's not an absolute no-no is it? I was thinking of pruning 35 to 40 percent of the branches and leaves. Is that too much? Do you think painting the wounds with pruning or some kind of paint is necessary? I don't know how inclined they are to getting pests. (e-mail reference)
A: There are better times than others to prune. It all depends on what the objectives are. Removing more than 30 percent of the crown at one time could cause problems. Alex Shigo, a forester of renown, has proven that coating the pruning wounds is not necessary. It has been shown to inhibit the natural compartmentalization that takes place after a pruning wound. His motto was that properly pruned trees dont need pruning paint, while all the pruning paint in the world wont make a difference if the trees werent properly pruned. Cottonwoods are inclined to get pests such as diseases and insects, so be sure your pruners are clean.

 

[CARS]

Thanks for the links and info Ridgerunner

If that info doesn't answer my questions about pruning, I doubt that there is an answer!

 

[unclejoe]

Years ago I remember my dad using a tar like substance on trees that he limbed. Wasn't that used to seal the open tree?

That's not the best thing to do to a tree wound. When you seal up a wound with tar, you are also locking in moisture. This will keep the wood soft and accelerate rotting. A tree does not "heal" a wound like our body heals our skin. It will decompartmentalize, which is basically growing new wood around the wound and sealing it off. It really isn't necessary to put anything on a cut.
As far as pruning a few lower limbs off, yes, you can do that any time of the year as long as you are not taking a lot of large limbs off. When you do prune, don't leave little stumps. Cut them back flush to the limb it is growing off of. Take care to not remove the branch collar. You can see examples of this here.
http://www.tree-pruning.com/how-to-prune.html
Hope this helps.