Tree Services Blog

Typically, in more northern climates, lawn and landscape companies are hard at work in the fall to prepare properties for the brutal cold of winter. However, it’s a common misconception that lawn care and maintenance should stop during winter. Even in Florida, property owners tend to slow down their lawn care during the winter months—but there are several reasons lawn care companies remain hard at work, even through winter. One such reason is winter pruning.

Pruning—the act of carefully trimming excess branches and leaves from deciduous plants—should occur several times a year, one of which being during winter. Pruning during winter is known as dormant pruning, and there are several reasons why dormant pruning is important. Here are some key reasons for and benefits of winter pruning in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Lee County, FL.

Pruning maximizes the quantity and quality of fruit-bearing trees.

After planting and initial growth, if a fruit-bearing tree is left unattended, its natural growth can actually inhibit the quantity and the quality of the fruit produced. Trees left unpruned can grow structurally imbalanced, leading to poor growth and poor fruit quality. Pruning a fruit tree while dormant can guide its growth trajectory to not only create a more stable scaffolding (keeping the tree and its fruits balanced) but also to be exposed to more oxygen and sunlight, which will lead to more plentiful fruit that’s...