The Difference Between Tree Lopping and Pruning

Trees are majestic, impressive and important to the environment and produce oxygen that we all need to live. They can also be a beautiful asset to any property or garden. But if they’re not properly maintained, they can be dangerous to people and their surroundings, particularly in the winter.

If you have trees on your property that are growing too tall or encroaching onto buildings, cars, or footpaths, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance work. Often this involves tree lopping or pruning which is the removal of branches, either large or small, from a tree. This is completed for aesthetic reasons, but also to promote or train the tree into a specific form.

A common misconception about tree maintenance is that tree lopping and pruning are the same thing, but they’re very different techniques that have a huge impact on the health and lifespan of your trees. Lopping aims to reduce the size of a tree by cutting off specific branches or sections without regard for its overall health, while pruning is the careful removal of diseased or weakened branches from a healthy tree in order to encourage its growth and longevity.

The reason why Lopping is so bad for your trees is that it causes them to go into a state of shock when a large percentage of their canopy is cut off. This can cause the tree to try and reproduce what it has lost, which can result in rapid re-growth and weak or inadequately formed branches that are more susceptible to disease or pest infestation.

Additionally, the open wounds left on a tree from the process of lopping are more vulnerable to infection because they lack the tree’s natural ability to chemically defend itself against bacteria and pathogens that enter through the cut. This can lead to limb decay and eventually tree death.

Both of these issues can be avoided by carrying out a professional arboricultural assessment before undertaking any tree maintenance work, and choosing the correct service for your needs. A qualified Sydney arborist will understand the difference between lopping and pruning, and will know how to prune your trees to help them thrive while maintaining safety and ensuring they look their best.

from TLC Trees and Co https://ift.tt/XWuYb2r