MSU Extension.

Apr 30, Sadly, oak wilt (Ceratocystis fagacearum) is a serious disease that can quickly kill oak trees. Oak trees pruned during the growing season are at greater risk of infection. According to experts at Michigan State University Extension, the normal time-tested advice to prevent oak wilt is to not prune oaks after April 1, otherwise you risk injuring oaks.

While risk of infection decreases after mid-July, it’s Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins. Pruning for other reasons (general tree health, non-safety related clearance or thinning, etc.) should be conducted before February 1 or after June Debris from diseased red oaks should be immediately chipped, burned or treenotch.bar Size: 60KB.

Apr 07, Homeowners can reduce the risk of oak wilt infections by not pruning or otherwise injuring oaks after April While high risk of infection decreases to lower risk after mid-July, it’s prudent to simply avoid pruning oak trees from just prior to bud break to leaf drop.

This means April to treenotch.barted Reading Time: 3 mins. Dec 14, The best period to prune oaks is between the months of October and March. In spring, stop pruning when daytime temperatures reach 50 degrees.

This is because oak wilt - a fatal disease of oaks - is spread by beetles that feed on the sap of tree wounds. But these beetles are not active in winter. Without leaves on trees, it’s also much easier to spot and prune broken, cracked, hanging, or Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins.

Oak trees in specific are potentially susceptible to a dangerous fungal disease known as oak wilt. Oaks might be big and strong, but a potent fungus can take down even the largest of trees. When trimming during the wrong time of the year (summertime), that fungus can permeate the tree. Jul 13, For this kind of routine Oak tree trimming and pruning, the best time to prune is in the fall or winter. However, there are cases when it’s better to go ahead and prune Oak trees, even during peak Oak Wilt season.

Sep 09, The best thing to do is to prevent oak wilt in the first place. Here’s how: #1 Avoid trimming when oak wilt is at its peak–usually February to June. Many municipalities place bans on oak trimming during this time. That’s why now is a great time to do any Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins.

August-October is considered less risky for pruning, but most homeowners wait until dormancy to trim oak trees. Read more about Oak Wilt in this article from the Michigan State University Extension. Try not to prune oak trees during the spring-summer treenotch.barted Reading Time: 8 mins.