Why is tree pruning essential for yard maintenance? Pruning is important for trees because it removes diseased or dead branches, improves the structural integrity of the tree, and can even encourage new growth in your tree.
However, pruning your tree incorrectly can cause many problems with your tree and may even kill your tree over time. If you are ready to tackle your tree pruning project, it is essential that you learn the proper methods.
Do you want to learn more about the do’s and don’ts of pruning a tree? Keep reading this guide for everything you should do and everything you should avoid with tree pruning.
Important Tree Pruning Tips
There are many things that you need to do to have a healthy, well-structured tree. While it may be best to hire a professional tree pruning service, there are many things that you can do yourself to prune your tree.
Here are some of the most important things you should do when pruning your trees!
Do Use the Right Tools
One of the most important tips to follow when you are trimming your trees is to use the right tree pruning tools. You need to have a sharp pruner or saw that is able to make clean cuts on your tree.
You may also need different sizes of pruning tools. These include hand shears, lopper shears, and even pole pruners.
You also need to invest in the right safety gear to protect yourself. You may have falling branches and other dangers, so protective gear will prevent unnecessary injuries. These include thick work gloves, safety goggles, and a hard hat.
Do Remove Weak or Unproductive Growth
Next, you must remove any growth that is weak or unproductive. This includes growth that is diseased or dying, as these can spread to other areas of your tree.
You should also remove things known as suckers, which are vertical growths that come from the base of the tree.
Do Cut in the Right Places
Learning to cut your tree in the right places is the key to good pruning. If you trim wherever you want to, you may not be able to shape the tree. A good rule of thumb to follow is to always cut back a branch or twig that is pointed in the direction in which you want your tree to grow in the future.
This way, you will have healthy and controlled growth on your trees in the future.
You also need to avoid cutting the branches too close to the tree trunk. If you do this, you can make it easier for diseases and pests to damage your tree trunk and kill the tree. Instead, make the cuts faster away from the trunk while avoiding leaving a stub.
If you are ever unsure of whether or not you should cut a branch, you should wait! You can always cut a branch later, but you can never bring back a branch that you already cut.
Do Consult a Trained Arborist
Finally, you should consider consulting a trained arborist to help you with your tree pruning service. While pruning your own trees may be able to save you a bit of money, an arborist is a worthwhile investment.
They will properly prune your trees and will ensure that they grow properly for years to come!
Tree Pruning Tips to Avoid
While there are many things that you can do to improve your tree growth, there are other mistakes that you can make which can impact your tree health.
Learning more about these mistakes will make it easier to avoid them when you are pruning trees. Here are some of the top things to avoid when pruning a tree.
Don’t Prune Without a Good Reason
One of the first rules to follow when pruning is to never prune without a good reason. If you don’t have a real reason to prune your trees, it increases the chance that you could make a mistake.
Only prune when you are trying to improve the structure of your tree, removing dead or broken branches, or removing branches that are dangerous or obstruct a walkway.
Don’t Remove Too Much Foliage
Next, you should avoid removing too much foliage when you are pruning during a growing season. Typically, you should remove 25% or less of the foliage on your tree.
If you prune your trees too much, it can cause a lot of stress for your tree. Over pruning may even cause your tree to die.
Don’t Prune in Dangerous Situations
You should also never take on jobs that can be dangerous or are potential safety hazards. There are some pruning jobs that require a certified arborist if they are to be done correctly and safely.
For example, you should not try to do a pruning job that requires you to use a chain saw or climb up a ladder. You should also never climb the tree with climbing spikes when you are pruning.
Finally, you should never prune within 10 feet of a utility conductor. Instead, you can hire a professional to do this safely.
Don’t Prune a Newly Planted Tree
Finally, you should not prune a newly planted tree during its first year of growth.
The only exception to this rule is if you are removing dead or broken branches from your tree. You should never prune a new tree to promote growth or to change the shape or structure of the tree.
Instead, you should only prune your trees after they have been planted for two or three years. This will allow your tree to recover from the stress of being planted.
Need Help With a Tree Pruning Service?
Tree pruning is an essential part of tree maintenance that will help your trees grow correctly and improve their health. However, the wrong types of pruning can cause worse problems for your tree. By following each of these do’s and don’ts when pruning, you can protect your trees!
Do you need help pruning fruit trees or other trees in your yard? Arbor-Tech Tree Service can help! We provide tree trimming, tree removal, and more.
Contact us today to learn more about our services or to get a quote for pruning a tree!
