Every fall we get the same question from homeowners around Greensboro, Reidsville and the rest of the Piedmont Triad: “Should I go ahead and cut everything back before winter?” The honest answer is that it depends on the plant. Some trees and shrubs are fine to shape right now. Others will reward you for waiting a few months. Here is how we think about fall trimming, and how to avoid the mistake that costs people next spring’s blooms.
Why Timing Matters More Than Most People Think
Trimming does two things to a plant. It removes growth, and it signals the plant to replace it. In spring and early summer that signal is welcome. In fall, a hard cut can push out soft new shoots just as our first freeze arrives, and that tender growth is the first thing to get damaged. Plants also spend the fall moving energy down into their roots for winter. Heavy pruning interrupts that process and leaves the plant with less in reserve for spring.
Then there is the bloom question. Many of the shrubs Triad homeowners love most set next year’s flower buds during late summer and fall. Cut them back now and you cut off the show.
What Is Fine to Trim This Fall
Fall is a good window for light work. Think of it as tidying, not reshaping:
- Dead, broken or diseased branches on any tree or shrub. These can come off any time of year, and after a stormy summer there are usually a few.
- Light shaping on evergreens such as boxwood, holly and other foundation shrubs, taking off just enough to keep them neat through winter.
- Branches rubbing against siding, roofs, gutters or walkways, or blocking a view from the driveway.
- Suckers and water sprouts at the base of trees and along trunks.
- Spent perennial stems once they have died back, while leaving healthy structure that protects the crown.
What Should Wait Until Late Winter
Late winter, while plants are fully dormant and just before new growth starts, is the best time for serious pruning on most trees and shrubs in our climate. The plant heals quickly once it wakes up, and you can see the branch structure clearly without leaves in the way. Save these jobs for then:
- Hard size reduction on overgrown shrubs and hedges
- Crape myrtles and other summer-blooming shrubs, which flower on new growth
- Structural pruning on shade and ornamental trees
- Rejuvenation cuts that take a tired shrub down close to the ground
What Should Wait Until After It Blooms
Spring-flowering shrubs are the ones that trip people up. Azaleas, camellias, forsythia, big-leaf hydrangeas, lilacs and many flowering fruit trees already have next year’s buds on them right now. Trimming them in fall or late winter removes those buds, and the plant looks healthy but barely flowers. The right time for these is in the weeks right after they finish blooming in spring, which gives them the rest of the season to set new buds.
A Few Habits That Keep Plants Healthy
Whatever the season, good cuts matter. Use sharp, clean tools so wounds close quickly. Cut just outside the branch collar on trees rather than flush with the trunk, and never leave a long stub. Avoid shearing the same shrubs into tight balls year after year, which crowds the outer growth and starves the inside of light. And resist topping trees, especially crape myrtles. It weakens them and leads to a flush of thin, poorly attached shoots. If a tree is simply too big for its spot, the better answer is usually selective thinning or, sometimes, a different plant.
Not Sure What You Have? We Can Help
Garrison’s Landscaping has served Rockingham, Guilford, Forsyth, Caswell and Alamance Counties for more than 25 years. Our tree and shrub trimming crews know which plants to shape now, which to leave until winter and which to save for after they bloom, so your landscape stays healthy and looks sharp year-round. Ready to get your trimming on the calendar? Request a free estimate and we will be in touch.