Monthly Tree Care Calendar for Puerto Rico

Tree care advice written for the mainland does not fit Puerto Rico. We do not have a dormant winter, our "spring" is really the tail of the dry season, and our single biggest calendar event is not a frost date but the June-to-November hurricane season. A tree here is either growing, fruiting, recovering from a storm, or getting ready for the next one.

This calendar is built around the two seasons that actually govern tree work on the island: the dry season (December through April) and the wet season (May through November), with hurricane risk peaking August through October. Use it as a rhythm, not a rulebook. Your microclimate in Rincón is not the same as one in the mountains of Adjuntas.

December - January: The pruning window opens

The dry season is the right time for most structural pruning and trimming in Puerto Rico. Wounds seal faster when the canopy is drier, fungal pressure is lower, and you are not cutting into a flush of tender wet-season growth.

• Structural pruning on hardwoods. Mahogany, African tulip, and other large hardwoods are best shaped now. Remove crossing limbs, deadwood, and weak branch unions before the next storm season tests them.
• Skip the flamboyán for now. The flamboyán sets its flower display for late spring. Heavy pruning in mid-winter can cost you blooms. Limit yourself to deadwood and clearly hazardous limbs.
• Inspect after the holidays. Walk your property and note anything leaning, cracked, or rubbing a roofline. Early January is a calm time to schedule non-urgent work before the calendar fills up.

February - March: Prune, plant, and feed lightly

This is the heart of the working season for arborists here. Weather is stable, soil is workable, and trees respond well to attention.

• Best planting window. Trees planted now have the whole dry-season-into-wet-season runway to root in before hurricane season. Water them in well since rain is scarce.
• Trim palms conservatively. Remove only dead, brown fronds and spent flower or fruit stalks. Never do a "hurricane cut" that strips green fronds - it weakens the palm and does not help it survive wind.
• First feeding of the year. As days lengthen, a balanced feeding supports the coming growth push. Fruit trees like mango and avocado benefit from feeding before they flower and set.

April: Last calm month before the rains

April is your deadline month. Anything you want done before hurricane season should be scheduled now, because the island gets busy fast once the first tropical waves appear.

• Finish structural work. Crown thinning to reduce wind load, cabling or bracing valuable trees, and removing hazard trees near the house should all be wrapped up.
• Clear what is already dead. A dead tree standing in April becomes a projectile in September. This is the cheapest, safest time to take it down.
• Watch for dry stress. Late dry season is when drought stress shows. Deep-water young and recently planted trees.

May - June: Growth explodes, hurricane season begins

The rains return and trees surge. Hurricane season officially opens June 1. Your job shifts from shaping to protecting.

• Stop heavy pruning. Big cuts now push soft, fast growth that is more vulnerable to wind, not less. Limit work to hazard reduction and storm prep.
• Do your storm-prep pass. Thin dense canopies that act like sails, remove deadwood, and check for limbs over the roof, driveway, or power drop. This is the highest-value trimming of the year.
• Fertilize while trees can use it. Warm soil and steady moisture make late spring the most efficient feeding window.

July - August: Peak season, minimal cutting

By now the trees are lush and the tropics are active. Keep your hands off the pruning saw unless you are removing a genuine hazard.

• Monitor, do not shape. Watch for cracks opening in trunks, mushrooms at the base (a decay sign), and soil heaving around roots after heavy rain.
• Pre-storm response, not routine work. When a named system is in the forecast, the priority is removing what could fail. There is no time or benefit to cosmetic trimming three days out.
• Harvest and clear fruit. Heavy mango or breadfruit loads add weight that stresses limbs in wind. Clearing ripe and fallen fruit reduces both hazard and pests.

September - October: The dangerous heart of the season

Statistically, the strongest storms to hit Puerto Rico have come in this window. María (September 2017), Fiona (September 2022), and Ernesto (August 2024) all landed in or near it. Your calendar is now reactive.

• Have a plan, not a saw. Know who you will call, and photograph your trees now while they are healthy so you have before-and-after documentation for insurance.
• After a storm, assess before you cut. Do not touch anything on a power line, and do not climb a storm-damaged tree. Downed and hanging limbs under tension are how DIY chainsaw injuries happen.
• Call for hazard assessment. Trees that survived but are leaning, split, or partially uprooted often need professional removal before the next system.

November - December: Recover and reset

The season winds down and the island exhales. This is cleanup and recovery time, and the start of next year's pruning window.

• Clean up storm debris. Clear brush piles and hanging limbs that did not come down but are no longer safe.
• Assess storm survivors. A tree that took a beating may look fine but have hidden root or trunk damage. An arborist inspection now prevents a surprise failure later.
• Reopen the pruning calendar. As the dry season sets in through December, you are back at the top of this list.

A note on your specific trees

This calendar is a framework. The right timing for your flamboyán, royal palm, or mango depends on its age, health, location, and what the last storm did to it. A young avocado in a sheltered Bayamón yard is on a different schedule than a mature ceiba exposed on a coastal lot.

If you want a plan built for your actual property - what to prune, when to feed, and which trees need storm prep before June - we are glad to walk it with you. Call (787) 513-9441 or request an orientation. We are licensed, insured, serve all 78 municipios, and dispatch 24/7 for storm emergencies.