The Difference Between Tree Lopping and Pruning

Trees are an important part of your garden, offering shade and greenery to your property while also contributing to a balanced ecosystem. However, it is essential that they are maintained properly. Otherwise, they can become a safety hazard to your family and cause damage to nearby properties or power lines. There are a few common tree maintenance services that help keep your trees healthy and safe, including tree lopping and pruning. Although both of these services involve removing branches, there is a difference between them that you should be aware of.

Tree Lopping Is a Way to Reduce Tree Size

When performed by an experienced tree lopper, this service is an effective method for reducing the overall height and spread of a large tree. It can be especially helpful for those with limited space in their yard. The process involves cutting the whole crown of a tree or removing specific branches. This helps a homeowner achieve their desired aesthetic while also making the landscape safer for pedestrians and vehicles.

While lopping may be necessary in certain circumstances, it can also be harmful to the health of the tree and result in long-term damage. This is because the open wounds left by a lopping job make it easy for bacteria, disease and pest infestations to take hold. It can also lead to rot and weaken the structure of the tree.

Many homeowners opt to have their trees lopped to remove potential hazards such as overgrown limbs that could fall on buildings or power lines. However, this should be a last resort and only done by an experienced tree care professional to avoid serious damage to the trees or people who live in close proximity. Pruning, on the other hand, is a safer and more efficient alternative to tree lopping for achieving similar results.

Routinely pruning trees every few years promotes a healthy balance of roots and crowns while encouraging fresh new growth that camouflages cuts and boosts overall tree health and longevity. Additionally, thinning out dense tree canopies allows sunlight and air to penetrate deeper into the canopy. This helps prevent diseases and pests from spreading throughout the entire plant while reducing the risk of damaging storms that can cause extensive damage or even fatal injuries to people.

The biggest difference between tree lopping and pruning is that a professional pruner is trained to recognize the correct balance of the whole plant. While a professional can still work on the same aesthetics, they know what is best for the health of the tree and how to do so in a sustainable way.

When done by an inexperienced person, tree lopping can be extremely detrimental to the health of the entire plant and can lead to a variety of problems. For example, if too many leaves are removed from the tree’s crown during a lopping process, it can starve the entire plant of its essential energy reserves. Sunburn can also occur when a tree’s natural defence against the sun is removed, as the exposed branches will be scalded by the intense heat.

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