Is it Safe to Prune Trees During the Summer Heat?

During the intense summer heat in Northwest Louisiana, it is generally best to limit pruning to specific, necessary tasks to avoid stressing your trees. Heavy pruning under high temperatures can shock a tree, so we recommend focusing primarily on safety and health maintenance during these months.

When managing your trees during the summer, we advise the following:

• Deadwood and Hazard Removal: You can safely remove dead, diseased, or broken branches at any time. Removing these limbs is a critical part of storm preparation tree pruning, as they are the most likely to snap and cause property damage during high winds.
• Selective Trimming: Limit summer work to removing suckers or crossing branches that may be causing immediate issues.
• Storm Resilience: Late summer is an important time to prioritize thinning dense canopies. By reducing the wind load before hurricane season, you enhance the safety of your home and property.

For major structural changes or heavy thinning, we suggest waiting until the dormant season (late winter). As a local, family-owned and operated company with over 40 years serving Northwest Louisiana, our four on-staff arborists can provide a custom quote to determine the safest schedule for your specific trees. If summer storms do cause unexpected damage, we are also available for 24/7 emergency call-outs.

• Best Time to Prune Trees: Seasonal Guide for Homeowners