Do you know the right way to trim trees? Are you wanting to ensure your trees are both healthy and beautiful?
Tree trimming is a necessary but sometimes tricky chore. If you’re not careful, you could end up damaging the tree or even harming yourself in the process.
That’s why we’ve put together the top tree trimming tips to help you achieve the best results possible. Keep reading to learn more!
Take Proper Safety Precautions
Trimming trees is often a dangerous endeavor. The tree trimming tools can be heavy and climbing a ladder always comes with a risk of falling.
The best defense against these hazards is to take all the necessary precautions before you begin trimming.
Wear supports for your back to help with lifting the tools. Use a sturdy and high-quality ladder with a friend to help hold it in place. Wearing a helmet is also a good idea, in case a branch falls from higher up.
By taking these precautions, you’ll trim trees without any problems!
Focus on Dead Branches
As you begin trimming your trees, you’ll want to start with the dead and damaged branches. Taking these branches away allows the tree to grow new ones in its place. It keeps the tree much healthier once it no longer has the excess pressure from dead or damaged branches.
Getting rid of these branches also makes your backyard safer for you and your family. Those dead branches could fall at any time or fly around when a strong storm comes through.
This is why you’ll need to focus on these kinds of branches before you put your attention on the aesthetics of the tree.
Clear Away Extra Weight
When a tree has too much weight in its crown, the tree may topple over and uproot itself during a bad storm. You’ll want to keep the tree’s crown trimmed so that all of its weight has a good balance.
You don’t want to trim away too many of the branches, however. The tree still needs its branches to stay healthy so it’s best to thin out a few branches rather than entire sections at once.
Leave Thicker Branches
Trees lose small twigs and branches all the time. It’s almost like clipping a fingernail. The big branches, however, are vital to a tree’s health.
When a tree loses a branch bigger than 5 inches in diameter, it causes a lot of damage to the tree’s system. It not only loses a large part of its inner structure but the open area also leaves it vulnerable to pests and excess moisture.
Whenever possible, you’ll want to keep those bigger branches in place. If removing a large branch is necessary, it’s best to leave it to a professional service. They’ll remove that branch with the least amount of damage possible.
Untangle Crisscrossed Areas
Tangled branches aren’t a common occurrence but it’s something you’ll want to look for while trimming your tree. As those branches rub against each other, they strip away the bark.
This creates a wound in the tree that allows bugs to find their way inside the soft center of the tree. If the damage becomes severe, you’ll eventually need to trim away even more branches to fix the problem.
Sometimes it’s enough to untangle the branches yourself without trimming. Other times, trimming is the only way to keep the branches away from one another.
Remove Sprouts
Seeing little sprouts at the base of your tree seems like a nice thing at first. They’re an interesting addition to the tree’s aesthetic, but they’re harmful to the tree itself.
Sprouts steal nutrients from the surrounding area, leaving fewer nutrients for the tree to absorb. If too many sprouts pop up around a tree, they might even sap away everything. The tree will start to wither and die if those sprouts remain.
When it’s time to trim your trees, take a look at the ground area as well. If you notice small sprouts of other plants collected at its base, it’s in your tree’s best interests to remove them!
Aesthetics Come Last
One of the most important parts of any tree trimming guide is the fact that the aesthetics of your tree should be the last concern. Although many people want to trim their trees to make their backyards look stunning, you’ll want to focus on the health and safety of the tree first.
Once you’ve cleared away any dangerous branches, then it’s time to trim away a little more to make the tree look its best. When you focus on aesthetics first, you’ll often do more damage to the tree without fixing any underlying problems.
By ignoring those problems, they’ll only become worse over the weeks until you’re forced to deal with them. At that point, the tree may need severe pruning to get back to a healthy state.
Call In the Professionals
Tree trimming isn’t an easy task. It takes expertise to recognize which branches need to go and which ones need to stay. It also requires a careful hand to ensure that the tree looks great afterward.
That’s why many people choose to call in a professional tree trimming service to take care of their trees.
It’s a much easier option than trying to do it yourself. Professionals have all the right tools and experience to trim any type of tree. They also know how to boost a tree’s health while also maintaining an aesthetic appearance.
With their help, you’ll feel confident that your trees will remain healthy and beautiful with no extra effort!
These Tree Trimming Tips Make Your Landscaping Easier
Whenever it’s time to prune your trees, make sure to come back to these tree trimming tips. They’re certain to make the entire process easier and safer for everyone involved.
Now that you how to tackle this chore in the right way, you’ll have beautiful trees again in no time!
Ready to get your trees back into tip-top shape? Contact us today to find out how we can help you every step of the way!
