Waiting until the leaves drop in fall is a rule of thumb for pruning shade trees, mainly because you can see bare limbs better, and the job is less “messy” without leaves attached to the cut branches.

Several other problems, including gas leaks, herbicide damage, and normal late-winter leaf drop of live oaks (going on now) can resemble oak wilt’s effects, and a certified arborist will know the ...

Texas forest officials are trying to stop residents from pruning their trees in the new year to guard against a deadly tree disease known as oak wilt. Winter is typically the best time to trim trees, ...