When to Trim Pine Trees in Georgia

When a pine is cut, it releases resin with a strong scent. In warm months, that scent can draw pine bark beetles, which bore into the tree and can kill it. Middle Georgia's long, hot summers make this risk higher than in cooler regions.

For most hardwoods in Macon, like oaks, maples, and pecans, late fall through winter is the best time. Leaves are off, so branches are easy to see, and the tree is dormant. Spring-flowering trees like dogwoods are best trimmed right after they bloom.

• Remove dead and broken limbs first. These can be cut any time.
• Raise low limbs gradually. Don't remove more than a quarter of the live canopy at once.
• Cut just outside the branch collar. The swollen ring where the branch meets the trunk heals best.
• Never top a pine. Cutting off the top ruins the tree's shape and invites decay.
• Leave tall pines to professionals. Climbing and cutting at height is dangerous.

• Branches touching or hanging over your roof
• Dead limbs high in the canopy
• Low limbs blocking driveways or walkways
• Heavy, lopsided growth on one side

If a pine is dying from the top down, has pitch tubes on the trunk, or leans toward your house, trimming may not be enough. See signs of a diseased tree or tree removal.