Pruning & Trimming
Pruning Mature Trees
Think of tree care as an investment. A healthy tree increases in value with age—paying big dividends, increasing property values, beautifying our surroundings, purifying our air, and saving energy by providing cooling shade from summer’s
heat and protection from winter’s wind.
Providing a preventive care program for your landscape plants is like putting money in the bank. Regular maintenance, designed to promote plant health and vigor, ensures their value will continue to grow. Preventing a problem is much less costly and time-consuming than curing one once it has developed. An effective maintenance program, including regular inspections and the necessary follow-up care of mulching, fertilizing, and pruning, can detect problems and correct them before they become damaging or fatal. Considering that many tree species can live as long as 200 to 300 years, including these practices when caring for your home landscape is an investment that will offer enjoyment and value for generations.
Pruning mature trees may require special equipment, training, and experience. If the
pruning work requires climbing, the use of a chain or hand saw, or the removal of large limbs, then using personal safety
equipment, such as protective eyewear and hearing protection, is a must. Arborists can provide a variety of services to assist in performing the job safely and reducing risk of personal injury and damage to your property. They also are able to determine which type of pruning is necessary to maintain or improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees.
Pruning
Pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure next to watering. Pruning is often desirable or necessary to remove dead, diseased, or insect-infested branches and to improve tree structure, enhance vigor, or maintain safety. Because each cut has the potential to change the growth of (or cause damage to) a tree, no branch should be removed without a reason.
Removing foliage from a tree has two distinct effects on its growth. Removing leaves reduces photosynthesis and may reduce overall growth. That is why pruning should always be performed sparingly. Overpruning is extremely harmful because without enough leaves, a tree cannot gather and process enough sunlight to survive. However, after pruning, the growth that does occur takes place on fewer shoots, so they tend to grow longer than they would without pruning. Understanding how the tree responds to pruning should assist you when selecting branches for removal.
When Should you Prune
The dormant season is the best time to prune although dead branches can and should be removed at any time. Pruning during the dormant season minimizes sap loss and stress to the tree. It also minimizes the risk of fungus infection or insect infestation. For deciduous trees, when the leaves are off, it will give you a better idea on the shape of your tree.
Minimizes sap loss and stress to tree
Minimizes fungus infection or insect infestation
For deciduous trees, leaves are off, gives better idea of the shape
Reasons to Prune
To remove branches that could fall and cause damage
To remove diseased or storm damaged branches
To thin crown to permit new growth and better air circulation
To remove crossing and rubbing branches
To enhance the natural form and character of trees
To reduce the height
To remove obstructing lower branches
Pruning Mature Trees
Think of tree care as an investment. A healthy tree increases in value with age—paying big dividends, increasing property values, beautifying our surroundings, purifying our air, and saving energy by providing cooling shade from summer’s
heat and protection from winter’s wind.
Providing a preventive care program for your landscape plants is like putting money in the bank. Regular maintenance, designed to promote plant health and vigor, ensures their value will continue to grow. Preventing a problem is much less costly and time-consuming than curing one once it has developed. An effective maintenance program, including regular inspections and the necessary follow-up care of mulching, fertilizing, and pruning, can detect problems and correct them before they become damaging or fatal. Considering that many tree species can live as long as 200 to 300 years, including these practices when caring for your home landscape is an investment that will offer enjoyment and value for generations.
Pruning mature trees may require special equipment, training, and experience. If the
pruning work requires climbing, the use of a chain or hand saw, or the removal of large limbs, then using personal safety
equipment, such as protective eyewear and hearing protection, is a must. Arborists can provide a variety of services to assist in performing the job safely and reducing risk of personal injury and damage to your property. They also are able to determine which type of pruning is necessary to maintain or improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees.
Pruning
Pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure next to watering. Pruning is often desirable or necessary to remove dead, diseased, or insect-infested branches and to improve tree structure, enhance vigor, or maintain safety. Because each cut has the potential to change the growth of (or cause damage to) a tree, no branch should be removed without a reason.
Removing foliage from a tree has two distinct effects on its growth. Removing leaves reduces photosynthesis and may reduce overall growth. That is why pruning should always be performed sparingly. Overpruning is extremely harmful because without enough leaves, a tree cannot gather and process enough sunlight to survive. However, after pruning, the growth that does occur takes place on fewer shoots, so they tend to grow longer than they would without pruning. Understanding how the tree responds to pruning should assist you when selecting branches for removal.
When Should you Prune
The dormant season is the best time to prune although dead branches can and should be removed at any time. Pruning during the dormant season minimizes sap loss and stress to the tree. It also minimizes the risk of fungus infection or insect infestation. For deciduous trees, when the leaves are off, it will give you a better idea on the shape of your tree.
Minimizes sap loss and stress to tree
Minimizes fungus infection or insect infestation
For deciduous trees, leaves are off, gives better idea of the shape
Reasons to Prune
To remove branches that could fall and cause damage
To remove diseased or storm damaged branches
To thin crown to permit new growth and better air circulation
To remove crossing and rubbing branches
To enhance the natural form and character of trees
To reduce the height
To remove obstructing lower branches
