While you may be tempted to clean up your yard by trimming trees and shrubs, now is not the time.

• Pruning stimulates new growth, which cannot be adequately supported with the falling temperatures and daylight.

• Any spring-flowering tree or shrub should not be pruned until after blooming next spring. These plants usually set their buds in fall - pruning now will mean no flowers in the spring!

• Pruning creates wounds, which can invite pests and diseases, such as Oak Wilt. Pruning while bugs are dormant can prevent infestations while the tree is vulnerable.

• The best time to prune a tree is in late winter, just before the tree breaks dormancy. The cut will heal quickly during vigorous growth in early spring.

• Do not prune in spring while the tree’s buds are developing. If the buds are beginning to swell, leave the tree alone until the leaves have grown to their mature size.