What Is Tree Lopping and When Is It Necessary?

Trees are a major part of any property’s landscape, adding charm, beauty, and value. They also provide shade and privacy from the surrounding area. As such, they require regular maintenance, including pruning and lopping. However, many Joondalup homeowners and business owners are confused about what exactly Tree Lopping involves and when it’s the best approach for their landscape. This article will demystify the process by exploring its purpose, processes, and benefits.

Tree lopping is a drastic and extensive technique of cutting branches to shape a tree or reduce its size. It is often used to reduce the height of a tree or to clear a view, or where a tree’s growth poses a risk to nearby structures such as power lines. It is generally only performed by trained professionals with the right tools and equipment.

The problem with lopping is that it can damage the health of a tree and even kill it. By removing a significant portion of the crown, the tree is suddenly exposed to high levels of sunlight and heat. This can cause bark splitting, cankers, and limb death. This can be mitigated by more conservative methods such as canopy thinning, which allows the remaining branches to absorb the sun’s energy.

Another issue with lopping is that it creates large wounds on a tree, leaving it vulnerable to infection. A healthy tree is equipped to close these wounds, but a lopped tree is not. The open wounds are an invitation for pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and insects to invade the tree and damage its structure and health. This can be avoided by using a more conservative method such as pruning.

Pruning involves cutting a small percentage of a tree’s branches to train them to grow in a specific direction, or to remove dead or unhealthy ones. While it can be a very important process for the health of your trees, it is not as aggressive as lopping and should only be undertaken by an experienced arborist.

While unqualified, non-certified tree loppers may offer cheap lopping services, they usually lack a deep understanding of the complexities and long-term effects of their work. An experienced and qualified arborist, on the other hand, thinks about both the short-term effects of his or her work and the tree’s long-term survival.

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