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Found a study saying pruning in fall weakens trees more than winter cuts - where's the truth?
I was reading through some forestry extension articles last night, the kind from a university website, and stumbled on a stat that threw me. They claimed pruning oaks in September led to 40 percent more decay pockets compared to March cuts. But then I found another old arborist handbook saying fall pruning is fine as long as it's dry. Seems like every pro I've talked to has a different rule. Some swear by late winter, others do it whenever. What's the real deal based on actual science or long-term field experience?
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the_zara23d ago
Started pruning my apple trees in late winter after losing two big limbs from decay after a fall cut years ago. Now I only touch them between late winter and early spring when they're dormant and haven't had that problem since.
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margaret30423d ago
Agreed so much with this. My neighbor lost a whole tree to what looked like the same thing, fall cut that just never sealed up right. Ive been doing late winter pruning for the last few years now and its made a huge difference in how clean my cuts heal. The tree just seems to bounce back way faster when its still asleep. Plus you can see the branch structure so much better without all the leaves in the way.
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