October isn’t the right time for doing any major tree work. However, it is good for some light maintenance pruning to keep deciduous trees safe over winter.

Removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches, as well as any branches hanging over buildings or structures, helps prevent potential issues during winter storms. A few well-planned cuts in fall can keep your property safe for the months ahead. But save any larger shaping or removal for late winter.

It is important to plan your pruning this month. Only cut for important reasons, not just aesthetics. If you have trees to prune in October, think about your pruning tools, too, and make sure they are clean and sharp before you do anything else. If your tools have seen better days, this pruning kit on Walmart has all you need for trimming trees.

Oak trees can reach over 100 feet tall, and their canopies can stretch up to 80 feet. They need pruning for safety reasons, such as to prevent branches from falling onto people or buildings. If you have an oak tree that stretches over buildings, driveways, or walkways, it is good practice to assess the canopy before winter for any branches that need attention.

Knowing when to prune oak trees keeps them safe. They should only ever be pruned from late fall to late winter to prevent oak wilt, a devastating fungal disease spread by beetles in spring and summer. It would be a tree pruning mistake to prune live oak branches during the peak months for the disease.

It is OK to do light pruning in the fall once the leaves start to fall. A pole pruner can be used to trim higher branches without needing to climb a ladder. For example, this pole pruner at The Home Depot extends up to 14 feet and has both a pruner and a pruning saw head. However, professionals will be needed for very old, statuesque oak trees.

Birch trees can end up with dead branches in the canopy as a result of the bronze birch borer. The borer is a wood-boring beetle that targets all types of birch, and the first signs of issues tend to show in the form of dieback in the upper crown.

When the leaves begin to fall, it is easier to spot and remove any of these dying or damaged branches. Removing infected branches helps prevent the pest population from spreading and reduces the risk of dead branches falling during winter storms.

Fall is an acceptable time to lightly prune a birch tree to keep it safe. If you prune in spring or summer, birch trees bleed a lot of sap, which stresses and weakens them and they’ll be more susceptible to the borer.

Assess the canopy this month to carefully remove any dead or diseased branches. A pair of extendable loppers (like these Corona extendable loppers at Lowe’s) helps you safely reach higher branches and can be used to trim wood up to 1.5-2 inches wide. Anvil loppers are good for dead wood, while bypass types are the best loppers for live stems.

The deciduous honey locust tree starts dropping its fine fern-like leaves in the fall. This creates a window to prune the open canopy to remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches.

The tree bleeds sap heavily if it is pruned when actively growing, which attracts pests and stresses it. A honey locust doesn’t usually need major pruning, just a little attention to clear out any potentially hazardous branches. It won’t usually need trimming every year, but it is worth checking the tree to see any risks.

Do any trimming with a light touch. Follow the one-third pruning rule and never remove more than a third of the canopy in a single year. Cutting too much will stress the tree.

A Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is a fast-growing flowering tree that reaches 30-50 feet high and 20-25 feet wide, depending on the variety. As the native tree grows so quickly, they require pruning every few years to keep it shaped and safe.

Tulip tree branches grow swiftly and, as a result, the long limbs are not as strong as other trees of that size. This leaves them at risk of snapping during strong winds and winter storms. If a tulip tree on your property has large branches above buildings, structures, driveways, or paths, it will need inspecting every 3-5 years to ensure the limbs remain sturdy and safe.

When the leaves have dropped and the tree is dormant, there is an opportunity to lightly trim a tulip tree. Use a pruning saw for any branches over two inches. You can get a strong folding pruning saw at The Home Depot.

A laburnum, also called a golden chain, can be grown as a shrub or tree and is adored for the yellow wisteria-like racemes of flowers that hang from the branches in spring.

When cultivated as a tree, it can reach 20-25 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide. This expansive growth makes pruning necessary when growing over driveways, paths, or garden structures, both to lift the canopy and keep it safe.

Laburnum is another tree that bleeds if pruned in spring or summer. However, the trees can be trimmed anytime between fall and midwinter to remove dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing branches.

A grafted tree is also likely to sprout from below the union, so trim off any suckers too to prevent these unwanted stems from taking energy away from the rest of the tree.

When pruning laburnum, always wear long sleeves and gloves as the sap from the branches can irritate your skin. A set of gardening sleeves like these on Amazon is ideal for protecting your arms from scratches, sunburn, or irritation while working in the garden.

A sorbus, also known as a rowan or mountain ash, is a valuable deciduous tree for any wildlife garden. When you grow a rowan tree, it offers a glorious mixture of white spring flowers, which attract pollinators, and bright berries, which can be red, orange, pink, or yellow, that are food for birds in fall.

The trees can reach over 50 feet when fully grown. They are low-maintenance trees, but do need regular shaping and pruning to keep them healthy, safe, and performing at their finest.

As they bleed sap if pruned in spring or summer, the window to prune rowan trees runs from late October/early November to February.

The tree wants a bit of light attention to remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches, then any crossing branches or ones growing inward towards the center. This opens the canopy, helping increase the amount of air and light in the tree to help against fungal diseases.

As with all the picks of trees to prune in October, you always need sharp pruning tools. A handheld tool sharper like this on Amazon can fit in any pocket or tool bag and be used to sharpen tools before you get to work.

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There are also likely to be other plants to prune in October around your garden. Fall is a time to trim back and tidy perennials, cut back and lift tender plants like dahlias, prune roses to protect against wind rock, and give your deciduous hedges a tidy. There are a lot of jobs to add to any fall gardening checklist.

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