She never said they were oak trees! And I have cut back branches on several different kinds of trees this time of year to no ill effect. (Ash, maple, oak, etc.) In fact, one oak tree we thought was dead that was much older than the sapling Liz described. It sprang back to life after we chopped off all but 4 1/2 feet of the 3-inch-thick trunk!

We moved into this house in May 13 years ago, so did a lot of pruning, plating etc in June even though it was not recommended. We wanted lawn instead of dirt, and to beat back some of the overgrowth.