Maintaining your yard is a lot of work. It takes careful planning to get each section of your landscaping to work together to welcome your family and guests into your safe place.
Keeping up with the flowers, shrubs, and gardening adds beautiful green curb appeal to your space, but tree maintenance is an often overlooked responsibility. In fact, the largest portion of your landscape is usually the tree section of your yard. These significant additions bring shade and fresh air to your home... But don’t neglect to prune your tree, or you may not have that tree for long!
In this post, we take a deeper dive into how and why to keep your tree limbs in check. For professional help with tree pruning, contact Independent Lawn Service today!
What is the Purpose of Pruning Trees?
It's necessary to trim trees for the selective removal of broken branches, diseased branches, other unwanted branches, undesirable fruiting structures, and more.
In their native environment in the forest, nature prunes trees. Whether it's from weather striking, animals knocking parts down, or gravity taking a toll, damaged branches simply drop away. In the wild, the dropping tree branch has little chance to do much long-term damage where it falls. But in local neighborhoods, there's very little self pruning of this nature and many things can go wrong. There are power lines, people and pets, and cars that falling branches could damage. When done carefully, pruning can safely remove these problematic branches from hazardous trees.
Proper pruning involves trimming trees to get rid of their narrow, angled tree branches that overhang homes or otherwise get in the way. Crown reduction pruning — also known as crown cleaning — is the process of lightly thinning out the top of a tree structure and reducing its overall height and shade canopy while still maintaining its natural form.
Why is Pruning Good for Your Tree Branches?
Pruning and removing branches maintains a tree’s appearance and shape. With the guidance of pruning, your tree will continue to function where and how you need it to work. Your mature trees can continue providing shade while not interfering with overhead wires and power lines or causing other adverse mechanical damage.
A pruned tree is safer and healthier. A tree specialist, known as an arborist, will inspect and thoroughly assess your tree’s health and needs. This professional will look for signs of disease, rot, severe insect infestation, and other problems along the trunk, branches, and roots. Next, they'll select lateral branches and indicate where proper pruning cuts should be made.
Why Prune Trees Before the Weather Turns Warm?
Tree branches are much more accessible without their pesky leaves getting in the way. An arborist can assess your tree’s structure and make the most informed pruning decisions with the foliage cover to allow as much or as little light penetration as you wish.
Trees respond better during cooler temperatures because they are in their dormant season. The cooler weather also helps slow the spread of any tree diseases. The rest of your lawn will also stay safe while heavy equipment gets as close as possible to your tree.
Late winter through early spring is the best time to prune your trees. Summer pruning can be challenging due to spring growth of flower and fruit development, not to mention the uncomfortably hot weather!
Need Professional Tree Pruning? Call The Pros at Independent Lawn Service and Say Goodbye to Those Dead Branches!
Independent Lawn Service has a professional arborist on staff for all your tree trimming needs. We'll make recommendations to improve your tree's safety and maintain your tree's height and overall plant health.
Have you noticed some strange new growth in your tree? Want some expert landscaping advice for your trees and shrubs? Independent Lawn Service is here for you. Give us a call at (734) 887-1081 or submit a contact form!
