How Often Should I Prune My Trees To Keep Them Healthy?
Why Arborists Prune Trees
Pruning your trees can promote healthy growth, provide your tree with stability, and make sure branches remain strong during storms. Pruning is a technique that professional arborists utilize to remove dead limbs and branches and help guide the tree to make sure the weight is evenly distributed. Pruning trees when done properly can allow more light into the lower canopy of the tree which can result in more healthy trees that can grow properly. Pruning can also be a helpful technique to remove branches that are growing too large for a space. Sometimes trees grow in a space that eventually becomes too small, which can both impact the health of the tree and nearby structures or other obstacles. Arborists use this technique sparingly since it’s important to cut branches in very specific ways to not negatively impact the growth of the tree and its overall health. A professional arborist will understand the way a tree grows and how to best prune the tree to help it flourish and grow strong, healthy branches.
A General Guideline for When to Prune a Tree
Understanding when to prune a tree is important and can be different depending on the species of tree, the age, and the overall state of the tree. Some trees can be pruned much more frequently while others need more time for growth between each trimming. Generally speaking, a mature tree can be pruned every three to five years, but consulting and hiring a professional tree service will ensure your trees are pruned at the best time for their health.
Making a Tree Care Plan with an Arborist
Whether you’ve had your trees cared for by other tree services or are looking to have your trees professionally trimmed for the first time Joseph Tree will help create a care plan specifically for you! We will come to the site and inspect the trees, take notes on the species, health, and overall state of the tree, and then create a care plan. Together we can look over the care plan and determine what will work best for your trees and your budget. Going forward we can create a schedule to ensure your trees will never go too long without receiving a proper trim.
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Professional Pruning Vs. Amateur Pruning
Professional Trimming Techniques
Pruning and tree trimming require a precision that is often only found in professional arborists who have received training and have long-standing pruning experience. Professional arborists cut branches intentionally to keep them healthy and safe, ensuring that no damage is done during the pruning process. When tree trimming an arborist will pay close attention to the angle and direction of each cut, where the cut is performed, and how the branch is severed. An improper cut on a tree branch can cause a wound that may lead to disease and sickness, so being precise is vital for the health of the tree. Some techniques, like a heading cut, are meant to stimulate the flowering of the tree and promote dense growth in areas of the tree. Other more intense pruning techniques are meant to help misshapen canopies grow into healthier, more balanced tree. Overall a professional will provide a better pruning experience for your trees which will promote a healthier and more stable tree.
Avoiding Damaging Tree Branches
Once pruned every cut is permanent, so precision and planning are crucial factors when trimming trees. We can always tell when an inexperienced arborist has been pruning a tree. People often see tree trimming as something done purely for visual aesthetics, however, this approach is a poor pruning technique and can result in damage to the branches. Over-pruning can easily lead to a lack of nutrients for the tree. A plant relies heavily on their leaves to provide nutrients for growth, and when a tree has been trimmed aggressively by someone lacking experience they may cut branches back too far. A lack of nutrients will stunt the growth of a tree and weaken its overall health. This can not only impact the lifespan of the tree, but can be dangerous as each branch becomes more susceptible to breaking and falling. Improper pruning techniques can also lead to disease, and rotting, and leave the tree susceptible to unwanted pests. By working with a professional tree service you have the experience of an arborist who can trim the tree properly to achieve both healthy growth and a beautiful visual result.
Understanding When to Prune Trees
Pruning a tree most commonly happens around early spring prior to the leaves all growing in. This occurs because the trees are still dormant and the spring foliage growth hasn’t begun. Pruning a tree during late winter or early spring provides the tree with a great opportunity for growth as its dormant stage ends and springtime growth begins. Of course, the trimming schedule will change depending on the type of tree. Fruit trees, evergreens, and oak trees all have different timeframes for when their branches should be pruned.
Health Benefits of Pruning Trees
Pruning a tree is more about protecting the tree and promoting a healthy growth season. By pruning a tree properly the tree will be stronger, more equipped to fight disease, hold up during intense storms, and will likely even have a longer lifespan. It’s probable that every tree will suffer from broken branches and limbs, which if left alone can result in poor health. Exposed wounds can allow pests and diseases to infect the tree. One of the benefits of having dead or dying branches is that the pruning cuts will heal better and prevent the tree from getting sick. Branches that are too heavy or dense with limbs and foliage can present a risk to not only the tree but also the surrounding environment. Anytime a tree loses a large branch it poses a serious health risk to the tree. By maintaining the weight and balance of a tree through pruning the tree can remain strong and healthy! By not letting the tree canopy become overgrown you are allowing the tree to thrive and continue to grow into a large, healthy tree. With fruit trees pruning will promote flowering and new buds and can increase the yield of fruit. By clearing out overly dense parts of the tree canopy lower parts of the canopy have more access to light from the sun and in return will remain strong!
How Often Do Young Trees Need Pruning
Young trees have a very different growth cycle when compared to mature trees. Their root systems are different and still developing, and trimming them too early or aggressively can stunt their growth. Depending on the species of tree they may not need any pruning for the first year, and sometimes even up to five years. Talk to a professional arborist about their thoughts on the timing of trimming young trees.
Don’t Over Prune or Over Trim Trees
Over-pruning a tree can be detrimental to the tree’s health. Oftentimes over-pruning will occur when the trees are growing larger than the space allows, or when the desired result is something that looks more manicured and visually pleasing. While these things may not be as important as the health of the tree, there are ways to successfully handle these problems without damaging the tree or putting it at risk. A technique called Tree Topping is mostly done in order to reduce the overall height of the tree, however, this can be extremely harmful to the tree itself. This is seen as a temporary fix and is something we do our best to avoid.
Pruning Trees to Prevent Storm Damage
Weak limbs and branches can be a result of a tree with declining health, a tree that has wounds from inexperienced pruning, or even a tree that hasn’t been pruned and is suffering from an unbalanced weight distribution. Heavy winds, ice, and dense snowfall in winter can all be dangerous for trees, especially when tree trimming has been neglected. Tree trimming helps reduce the overall weight of the branches without harming the tree. Maintaining strong branches and eliminating diseased or damaged branches reduces the likelihood that parts of the tree will break due to natural causes.
Professional Arborist Services
Other services we offer include a dirt analysis to understand the nutrients, general week-to-week tree care, and inspections of the tree’s health to best understand how we can continue to improve the tree’s life over time. Joseph Tree provides tree removal, trimming, plant care, commercial care services, tree replacements, and more.
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Contacting Joseph Tree & Tree Trimming Quotes
Experienced Arborists
Our team handles tree care and removal for residential and commercial properties throughout Central Ohio. We work extensively with our team to provide them with the education and insight to ensure their approach to every tree trimming is precise and done with care. We put trees first and do everything in our power to provide them with a healthy future.
Get a Tree Pruning Estimate
To get an estimate please reach out to us today! Customers are able to show us a video of their property and trees in order for us to provide a quick estimate for pruning and other care services. Otherwise we offer a more traditional quote where one of our arborists will visit your property and make an assessment.
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Schedule a Tree Pruning
Schedule an appointment today with our offices. We will find a date that works for your schedule and have our arborists come to your property to prune your trees and speak with you about a tree care plan and other services we can provide!