What's Normal After a Trim

Fresh, light-colored cuts. They'll darken and weather over the next few months.
Some sap bleeding, especially on maples and birches. It looks alarming but is normal and slows on its own.
A more open canopy than you're used to. More light and air reaching the lawn is the point.
A few small sprouts near cut areas the following spring. That's the tree responding.
Skip the pruning paint. Research shows wound dressings don't help trees seal cuts and can trap moisture. Clean cuts in the right spot heal best on their own.

Red Flags to Watch For

New cracks or splits in the trunk or major limbs
Mushrooms or conks growing at the base or on the trunk
Dark, foul-smelling ooze from the bark
Large sections of the canopy suddenly dying back
A tree that starts leaning, or leans more than it used to, especially if the soil at the base is heaving
A broken branch hanging in the canopy after a storm

Pruning doesn't mean a tree needs extra water, but a tree going into our dry Beaverton summers needs help.
During dry months (roughly July through September), water deeply every 1 to 2 weeks rather than a little every day.
Water slowly at the drip line (the outer edge of the canopy), not against the trunk. A soaker hose works great.
Newer trees (planted in the last 3 years) need water more often than established ones.
In the rainy season, let nature handle it.

Spread 2 to 4 inches of mulch over the root zone, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk. It holds moisture and keeps mower damage away.

Don't fertilize right after a heavy prune. Give the tree time to respond on its own first.

Expect a flush of new leaves and shoots when the tree normally leafs out in spring.

Growth may slow for the rest of the season. You'll see the real response the following spring.

New growth shows up as light green tips in late spring. Conifers don't regrow from bare wood, which is why we never over-cut them.
If a trimmed tree hasn't leafed out by late spring when its neighbors have, give us a call.