How Do You Properly Prune a Tree?

What is pruning? Is it required to prune a tree or your tree in particular?

With hundreds of thousands of trees living in the forest, it is unimaginable if all those trees need pruning. Pruning is the process of trimming a tree and removing dead parts and overgrowth to allow room for nutrients and sun to restore the tree’s health.

Pruning a tree has a purpose. It has to be in the right time or time of the year, depending on what season it is and if it is appropriate for that particular tree species.

Pruning is also done for beautification and to lengthen the life’s tree. But it has to be done in the right way. Sometimes, pruning is mistaken for trimming, because making the cuts not done properly will just compromise the life of the tree.

Smart pruning, as they call it, is beneficial for any tree type. First, it will improve its appearance, especially when overgrowth becomes a mess and unsightly. And when scientifically, it exposes the tree’s ability to produce healthy bark, flowers, and fruits.

Reasons for Pruning a Tree

Every tree owner would tell an arborist or a tree surgeon what is desired of a tree. Cutting branches or removing them serves a purpose. What are these valid reasons?

• When a tree is at risk, with dead or decayed branches, these are cut or removed.
• The tree’s crown and landscape are important for the tree’s growth. Hence, when the bark is cut open, it allows air and sun penetration to absorb moisture and heat, providing health to the tree.
• Even mature trees are pruned. This is done to make some corrective moves. Old barks protect the inner layer of the trunk but they also harm when insects thrive inside.

Tips for safety trimming

1. When a tree has diseased branches, it is wise to remove them before they could infect the rest of the adjoining branches.
2. Dead branches become hollow and are conducive places for insects and microorganisms to thrive.
3. Overgrown branches with lush leaves can intervene with posts and power lines. Have the experts do the trimming to avoid compromising such hazardous tasks and life.
4. Dangling huge branches over the road can endanger vehicles and people passing by, thus should be removed.
5. Avoid branches breaching others’ property. They could harm in many ways. If windy days arrive, weak and dead branches could cause damage to lives and property.

Tips for healthy pruning

• When you see branches lowering down to their lowest point touching the ground, or not even, then it’s time to cut those unhealthy branches away to prevent them from being unsightly.
• New leaves that have sprung up and then trimmed prematurely will weaken the tree.
• Wait for dried leaves to fall so that branches can be easily reached and trimmed.
• For dead and leafless branches, it’s better to have them removed.
• Check your location and with your tree surgeon the best time of the year to prune the type of tree you have in your background, as different tree species have certain adaptations to their locations and seasons.

The major do’s and don’ts in pruning

• When you plan to remove a branch, don’t cut it very close to the trunk to avoid the wound from not healing fast.
• Cutting too far from the branch will leave a stub which will give room for insects to attack.
• When cutting stems, don’t leave a long gap in between the stem and the leaf so the stem won’t die from disease or insects.

Issues in Pruning

Some trees when you start to cut branches and stems tend to have ugly results. Improper pruning leads to various problems in the tree and its physical presentation.

To save a tree, it is important to know the issues in cutting and pruning so that we can benefit from it in many ways.

Suckering

If you care a lot about the survival of trees, you will avoid growing suckers. Suckers sprout from damaged roots or base of the trunk. If they are found higher on the sides of the trunk, they are located on a crack or a pruning wound.

The coming out of suckers is a result of a tree’s survival instinct. Suckers usually grow out after felling where multiple stems soon grow. These stems soon grow into branches and will destroy the natural shape of the tree. Make sure that these growing stems are clumped and spaced evenly so that they will avoid rubbing each other as they grow longer and thicker.

Clustering

Clustered branches or stems will create a weak point in the tree. Unsightly branches will block the air, sun, and water.

Stubs

Dead branches that log off from the branch due to winds leave stubs behind. These stubs are open places for insects and prevent the wound from getting healed. Due to prolonged exposure to heat and rain, these stubs get rotten and become an awkward sight for the tree.

These exposures and open wounds are bad for the tree. Even if you apply a seal to correct the wound, it makes no sense for the tree to entertain regeneration for that part.

Conclusion

If you have less idea on how to properly prune a tree, we can help. Alpine Tree Surgeons has a team of experts in trees and plants for many years in the industry. Whether you want to compensate for good landscaping by having us check your trees or have these trees taken care of with the pruning method, we have your back.

Call us today and enjoy our no-obligation quote and protect your trees for life.