--- title: Can Trees Be Pruned in Summer in Northern Nevada? url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/can-trees-be-pruned-in-summer/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Questions and answers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/) - [Pruning and trimming](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/) - Can trees be pruned in summer? # Can trees be pruned in summer? Yes, dead, broken and hazardous branches can be pruned at any time of year, and most conifers are pruned in early spring and summer. For deciduous shade trees, the usual rule is to wait until dormancy in late winter, and to avoid heavy cuts to live wood right after the spring growth flush. ## What summer is good for A hanging limb or a dead branch over a roof does not wait for winter. The ISA says light, routine removal of weak, dead or diseased limbs can be done at any time of year. Our own FAQ gives the same rule: remove a hazard when you find it. Conifers follow a different calendar. Battle Born's guidance is early spring and summer for most conifers such as pines. For species notes see [when to prune pines](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-pine-trees/) and [spruce](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-spruce/). ## What summer is not good for Heavy cuts to live wood just after the spring flush are best avoided, particularly on weak trees, because the tree has just spent its stored energy on new leaves. Summer is also when a stressed tree is already working hardest, and in Northern Nevada the dry months are long. Carson City's annual precipitation normal is 9.34 inches at the NOAA station, so the soil water a tree relies on is limited. If you want a big shade tree thinned or reduced, plan it for dormancy, when the structure is visible and the cuts close with spring growth. ## Elms are the cautionary case Dead and dying elm wood is where elm bark beetles breed, and those beetles carry Dutch elm disease. That is a reason to take dead elm wood off promptly and to keep elm wood with the bark on away from living elms. The full disease page is [Dutch elm disease](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/dutch-elm-disease/), and species timing is on [when to prune elms](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-elms/). We have not sourced beetle flight dates for Nevada, so we do not state them. ## The short version for a booking Hazards: now. Conifers: spring and summer. Deciduous shade trees: late winter unless something is wrong. Not sure which you have? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243), and a certified arborist will sort it at the free estimate. ### Sources - [International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Pruning Your Trees](https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/pruningyourtrees) (read October 17, 2026) - [NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals) (retrieved October 1, 2026) - [Montana State University Extension: Dutch Elm Disease](https://www.montana.edu/extension/Full_HTML_Pubs/a-guide-to-pests-problems-and-identification-of-ornamental-shrubs-and-trees-in-montana/diseases/dutch-elm-disease.html) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Pruning and trimming questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/) - [Best time to prune trees in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/best-time-to-prune-trees-northern-nevada/) - [When should elms be pruned in Northern Nevada?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-elms/) - [Dead wooding](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/dead-wooding/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ### All pruning and trimming questions - [Pruning and trimming questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/) ## Keep going: pruning and trimming questions [When should junipers be pruned?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-junipers/) [When should oak trees be pruned in Northern Nevada?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-oaks/) [When should ash trees be pruned?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/when-to-prune-ash-trees/) [What is the difference between trimming, pruning and shaping?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/trimming-vs-pruning-vs-shaping/) [How do I know whether pruning is enough or the tree should come out?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/is-pruning-enough-or-should-the-tree-come-out/) [How much of a tree can be pruned at one time?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/how-much-of-a-tree-can-be-pruned-at-once/) [Previous question: Should pruning cuts be sealed or painted?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/should-pruning-cuts-be-sealed/) [Next question: Why are water sprouts growing after pruning?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/why-water-sprouts-grow-after-pruning/)