🌲TILLAMOOK COUNTY PRUNING GUIDE🌲

❄️ What is Dormant Season? ❄️

Dormant season is when a tree enters a natural resting phase — it stops growing, slows down internally, and conserves energy for spring. This typically happens after the tree drops its leaves and temperatures remain low for a sustained period.

Here in Tillamook’s coastal rainforest climate, true dormancy often doesn’t begin until late December — after enough cold weather signals the tree to fully shut down. Cutting too early, while the tree is still metabolically active, can cause unnecessary stress.

Well..

It's Winter and it Doesn't Have Leaves!?

Just because a tree is leafless doesn't mean it’s ready.

In Tillamook, we often don’t get hard frosts until December — trees are still redistributing needed energy in October and November.

We wait until they’re fully at rest before cutting.

🌳 Does Dormant Season Apply to All Trees? 🌳

Mostly — but not always.

Deciduous trees (like maple, alder, and oak) respond best to pruning during full dormancy.
Most evergreens — including our coastal conifers like fir, cedar, spruce, hemlock, and pine — don’t fully go dormant, but can be pruned in late winter or early summer, depending on their needs.
Spring bloomers (like magnolia and rhododendron) should be pruned after they flower, even if that’s in early summer.
Fruit trees have flexible pruning windows — winter for shaping, summer for thinning to manage vigor and improve sunlight exposure.

✅ Good Times to Prune ✅

January to March – The ideal window for most major pruning in our region, when trees are fully dormant and stress is minimized.
After Spring Bloom – For flowering trees and ornamentals like magnolia or rhododendron, prune once blooms have faded to preserve next year’s flower buds and encourage healthy growth.
Early Summer – Best for light shaping of evergreen trees, especially conifers, and for selective thinning of fruit trees. This helps manage vigor, improve airflow, and direct energy to healthy branches.
Year-Round (When Safety is a Concern) – Hazard mitigation, storm damage, or removal of deadwood.