I have five white pines

Hi Tomás.

Late summer should be fine for any pruning. I don't think it is that critical with this genus anyway. A former work colleague pruned the lower branches off a bristlecone pine early summer one year and it was fine.

Spring would probably be the least favourable time as rising sap may bleed from the wounds. The resin that will appear is different as this will come at any time of year and being strongly anti bacterial/fungal, will help protect the open wood from infection.

Steve.

i used to work volintary for the suffolk trust fractal is right as they are only residual branches that will die of anyway .we used to use these amasing long handled saws to do it with slightly curved blades and the cutting edge being on the pull stroke (backwards to a normal saw) they sell one in tescos at the moment for about a fiver thats just a hand saw.its like a big flick knife for want of a better word.a brilliant bit of kit.i use it to cut out the thinner canes on my yellow bamboo.