When should cottonwoods be pruned?

The timing

Cottonwood is deciduous, so the rule is late winter for routine pruning and any time for dead or hanging limbs. The long, heavy limbs of a mature tree are the thing to watch. Good pruning removes dead wood and reduces the weight of long limbs; topping is not pruning and leaves weak regrowth.

Why a calendar is not enough

The Forest Service describes Fremont cottonwood as fast growing, with wood that is soft, weak and low in resistance to decay. It is also vulnerable to drought until its roots reach the water table, so a piped ditch or stopped irrigation can start a decline and a shedding of dead wood. We do not have a sourced date for when branches drop in summer, so we do not state one. After a dry spell, a wind or a heat wave, have the tree looked at.

The longer story

We keep the species facts, the identification notes and the keep, prune or remove decision on separate pages: Fremont cottonwood and cottonwoods: keep, prune or remove.

What to bring up at the estimate

Tell the arborist about limbs over the roof, driveway or fence, any dead tips, and any change in watering. Hanging limbs are urgent; stay out from under them. Call 775.232.8243, and the 24-hour line covers storms.

Before you book

Stand back and look for dead tips, large dead limbs and any limb that reaches over a roof, fence or driveway. Note any change in watering, such as a piped ditch. A certified arborist walks the tree and tells you whether this is a pruning tree or a removal tree. Our service list includes dead wooding, large tree removal and crane-assisted removal for big trees close to houses.