The trees that paint our backyard and streets in lush hues do not have the same freedom as their wild counterparts. While we want to keep their pristine appearance, we also want to feel safe around them. Thus, one of the widely developed and practised methods in tree maintenance by expert arborists and tree enthusiasts is tree pruning.
You may have heard the term, and you might have an idea that it involves trimming your trees. However, this introduction will give you a few ideas about how pruning makes a difference, why we should do it, and how it’s done.
Tree Pruning
Tree pruning is a horticultural practise where you selectively remove branches and foliage from a tree to improve the tree’s structure and promote healthy foliage growth. Other reasons to prune trees range from aesthetic purposes to fire and electrical safety reasons.
- Aesthetics ‒ Pruning a tree will help maintain its overall shape and appearance. However, you should avoid imposing complicated shapes or sizes on a small tree. Excessive pruning just to achieve the desired look can permanently harm the tree.
- Safety ‒ Dead or weak branches and limbs can fall off at any time and pose a serious safety hazard. Overgrowth of a tree’s branches and foliage can also obstruct your vision while driving and should be pruned. Finally, branches reaching utility lines should be removed by professional arborists.
- Health ‒ An infected tree can be treated by eliminating the diseased limbs. Crossing and rubbing branches should also be pruned, so they don’t fall on their weight.
Benefits of Tree Pruning
While every tree species grow in unique ways, most of them require regular pruning to grow in a healthy and ideal manner. Moreover, pruning also gives different benefits to various trees.
- Tree pruning is used to shape trees
- Pruning fruit trees will increase yield
- Ornamental trees are pruned to promote even growth and attractive appearance
Furthermore, proper tree pruning is an investment that will reward your trees with a longer life and improve your garden’s overall look and safety. Here are other benefits you can also get from tree pruning:
- Reduced risks associated with dead, broken, and damaged branches
- More sunlight promotes the growth of surface vegetation and thin foliage
- Trains branch growth away from your roof or power lines
- Give your tree a polished and neat look
- Strengthen the tree foundation for long-term health
Pruning Techniques
Pruning draws a line from trimming, as it is not simply cutting away branches. Specific types of pruning differ between plants. Using the right technique will allow your tree to mature in a healthy, safe, and attractive condition.
- Cleaning ‒ the cutting/removal of dead, diseased, and weak limbs to give the tree a polished look
- Thinning ‒ selectively removes branches from the tree to free up overgrowth in the canopy so more light can pass through. Proper thinning also opens the foliage, eliminating excess weight from it, and giving it a more natural shape.
- Reduction ‒ cutting limbs to reduce a tree’s height or width. This method is used to shorten branches that are inching towards roofings and utility lines.
- Raising ‒ A type of reduction cut that removes lower branches of a tree to give clearance for pedestrians, vehicles, establishments, and vistas.
When To Prune?
Routine pruning can actually be accomplished at any time of the year. Still, the results can be optimised at the right timing. The growth and wound closure of a tree can be maximised if pruning is done before the spring growth flush. It is the period where foliage growth in most trees is fastest.
Moreover, tree diseases such as oak wilt can infect trees through fresh pruning wounds. That’s why it is not recommended to prune a tree during active disease transmission periods.
Conclusion
On top of ensuring safety and the health of trees, overall tree maintenance is a standard task for people who wish to grow one. Tree pruning is a form of maintenance check tailored for trees in residential, commercial, and industrial landscapes. Its full array of benefits makes pruning a wanted investment for tree owners.
The Trees Down Under team is equipped with the tools, expertise, and experience in pruning your trees. There is nothing more important than making sure that your trees are growing up healthy and abundant. Our expert arborists can prune your trees in many ways to make it stand out and elevate your garden’s beauty.
Call us at 0475 463 597, or email us at info@treesdownunder.com.au, and we will contact you immediately with a free quote. Let us offer you the perfect answer to your garden.
