Does pruning in the fall really cause more harm than good? I tried it and got mixed results

I pruned a big red oak in late October last year because the client insisted it had to be done before a fence install. The tree had some dieback the next spring on a few cuts, but then it bounced back strong by midsummer. I've always heard you should Avoid fall pruning because of disease risk, but now I'm wondering if it depends on the tree species or the climate around here. Has anyone else had a fall prune job turn out okay?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan_patel1mo ago

Yeah that line about "depends on the tree species or the climate" is probably the real answer. Seems like most things in life aren't black and white, you just gotta read the situation. My uncle always said rules are more like guidelines, and that's held up pretty well for pruning and everything else.

taylorcarr1mo ago

Wait, your uncle actually said "rules are more like guidelines"? That's wild because I had a neighbor who used to say the exact same thing before he pruned his prize-winning Japanese maple into what looked like a half-eaten donut. Like, the guy literally said that line and then went to town with loppers based on a vibe. The tree never recovered, it just grew back all gnarly and twisted. So yeah, that mantra might work for some things, but for trees that cost hundreds of bucks a pop? I'm sticking with the species-specific instructions, thanks.