Professional Tree Care

Tree trimming can be done at different times of the year. Winter is a good time for prunning and tree removal services. Some fruit trees are trimmed during the winter to maximize fruit production. Leaves fall off and trees take a "Rest" until warmer spring temperatures put them into a new flush of growth.  

• Fruit trees like peaches, apples, pomegranates, nuts, nectarines, and apricots all can be trimmed starting in December up till about February.  

• Oak tree trimming is best left for when the tree is dormant during the colder months of the year 

• Deciduous trees such as ash, desert willow, and elm all should be trimmed starting in December and goes through February. This includes Arizona favorite desert trees such as the Palo Verde and other popular options 

• The best time of year to trim palm trees is after mid June. This is the best time to remove seeds which are forming and any dead leaves or fronds 

• Citrus trees are frost sensitive and even though it is rare to get that cold in the desert it’s important to wait to trim them until the middle of February to avoid frost damage. 

After leaves have dropped in the fall, it is easier to check the structure of a tree. It is also a great time to identify dead or dangerous branches. Winter prunning can also help avoid spreading of some serious diseases that are active during the spring and summer seasons.  During winter, the bacteria, fungi, parasites, and insects that cause and/or spread disease are either dead or dormant. As a result, diseases are less likely to be transmitted by winter pruning. 

Winter is a great time to prune, that doesn’t mean that spring and summer prunning isn’t good for your trees. It simply offers different benefits and is done for different reasons, such as:

• Taking care of deadwood that isn’t easy to identify in winter. While arborists can usually identify deadwood, on some tree species it’s more difficult to tell whether a branch is dead when the tree is dormant.

• Removing damaged or diseased branches that pose a safety hazard or could compromise the tree’s health.

• Improving the overall look of the tree once it’s leafed out; the weight of leaves can change the tree’s shape.

• Opening up the tree to increase air circulation or allow more sunlight into the interior.

• Raising the canopy to improve your view.

• Pruning shrubs and trees that have grown too large or are getting in the way

• Mesquite trees and eucalyptus which grow fast and have large branch systems should be trimmed back before the storms of the monsoon season. This means that May and June are prime time for having these trees trimmed back