Tree Trimming Tips

Tree Trimming is an essential practice to help trees grow strong and healthy. This practice consists of selectively removing branches to prevent damage or disease, maintain the desired shape or size and enhance visual appeal. Many types of pruning techniques can be used on shrubs and small trees, but a professional arborist is best suited to work with larger trees.

A skilled arborist prunes a tree to ensure the plant remains healthy and functional and to maintain the appearance of the landscape. Pruning removes dead, damaged or diseased limbs, opens the canopy to let in more sunlight and reduces stress on the tree. It also removes water sprouts, suckers and undesirable fruiting structures. In addition, thinning of the crown allows light to reach the interior of the tree and encourages new growth. In some cases, this can also improve the overall health of a tree and decrease the likelihood of damage from wind, snow, ice or heavy rain.

In addition, a skilled arborist can address safety concerns by removing weak, broken or hanging branches that could fall and cause property or personal injury. He or she may also remove limbs that are too close to buildings, power lines or other infrastructure. Lastly, pruning can eliminate overgrown branches that obstruct views or block sidewalks and driveways.

As trees mature, it is important to continue to thin their crowns to promote good air circulation and reduce the risk of damage from heavy snow, ice, wind or rain. Crown thinning is usually done during the dormant season, which minimizes wounding and enables optimal healing. It is also recommended to remove only 10% of a live branch’s total width, as removing too much can reduce light penetration and increase the chance of future dieback.

While a skilled arborist can prune a tree to almost any height, it is generally best to reduce the height of large trees only by a few feet at a time over several years. This is to ensure the tree has enough energy to produce its own food and avoid putting too much stress on the remaining branches.

When cutting a branch, make a first cut on the underside of the limb, about 3 inches away from the branch collar (the thick spot where the parent and child limbs meet). Make another cut slightly beyond the first, straight through the limb, leaving a stub. The second cut should be sloped downwards to allow water to flow off the cut and away from the bark ridge, reducing the potential for water damage or infection. Water that sits on a wound slows the healing process and can lead to disease and insect infestations.

from TLC Trees and Co https://ift.tt/1Gmu5ek