Pruning is performed to eliminate unnecessary branches. Alternatively, trimming promotes healthy development. These two services are provided at different times of the year, using different types of equipment, to provide a visually appealing and healthier landscape. Pruning and trimming are more than just cutting off limbs, and are an integral part of all tree and shrub maintenance procedures.
Taking the time to trim and prune a tree correctly allows it to grow stronger, produce more flowers and fruits, improve the health of the tree, and remove weak limbs, all of which improve its aesthetic appeal. Pruning a tree at the right time and according to the correct method is critical to prevent adverse effects such as death from neglect or over-pruning. A tree should ideally be pruned in a way that brings out its natural shape.
Why Prune Trees?
Pruning shrubs and other types of plants may seem natural, but pruning trees can be intimidating for some people. You must be thinking that they can grow in the wild just fine, right? Or you may have heard horror stories about what can happen to the trees when they are improperly pruned.
Does pruning trees harm them?
Not at all!
What’s worse is irresponsible tree care, because that can result in poor pruning techniques and ignoring underlying issues that pruning could resolve. In essence, bad pruning is bad, whereas good pruning is good.
“Good pruning” means what for trees?
Pruning for trees has many benefits that are similar to those that are seen for other plants: disease control, bug control, removing safety concerns, and enhancing the tree’s growth.
Pruning trees offers specific benefits, including:
- Eliminates weak or narrow “crotches” that can cause the wood to split and tear as the tree ages.
- In high winds, cutting down co-dominant leader branches will help protect the wood from splits and tears.
- A good way to get rid of low-growing branches.
Importance of Tree Trimming and Pruning
Plants can benefit from being periodically trimmed for a variety of reasons, but we’ll delve a little deeper into them here.
When plants are pruned properly, they become healthier and more beautiful, thereby extending their life and increasing their productivity.
Enhance Plant Health
Plants can be pruned to remove dead, diseased, damaged, or dying branches, as well as stubs and twigs.
This is important, but why?
The reason is that a dead or dying stub on a tree can easily become an entry point for diseases or pests to build up. It is likely that diseases can spread from these entry points to the rest of the plant. Using practical trimming and pruning techniques, a tree expert prevents diseases while preserving the best plant form.
Insect Control and Pest Reduction
Properly pruned and trimmed outdoor plants have a number of benefits, not the least of which is better insect management. The plants around your house or in your yard are home to an assortment of pests, worms, and insects. The majority of these organisms get their energy from the foliage, while others get theirs from the sap. Almost all these pests are capable of weakening plants, spreading diseases, and possibly killing them if they consume your plants.
You may encounter these animals in your house as well when they fly or crawl into it and become pesky, unwanted guests. Thus, keeping them under control can be accomplished through pruning.
Plant Growth Enhancement
Researchers from the Universities of York and Calgary in Canada published a study in 2009 that demonstrated how pruning promotes growth in plants. Molecular genetics and computational modeling study formed the basis for the report. The report indicates that growth is influenced by the location of the individual shoots on a plant.
A main growing shoot in this way tends to discourage other shoots from growing. Thus, by pruning the main shoot, other shoots are encouraged to develop.
Improve the Beauty of the Trees
During pruning, plants’ wood is cut down, allowing them to make more energy available for healthy, large flowers. In a nutshell, pruning that is timed properly increases the number of flowers that develop from the young shoots.
Several shrubs have gorgeously colored stems. Young stems produce the most vivid and colorful colors. By trimming and pruning, such young stems are encouraged to grow.
Sunlight Distribution
With a tree filled with branches old and new, sunlight cannot reach the ground beneath it as much as it could. Consequently, if you have other plants around the tree, those plants won’t get enough sunlight to thrive because they will not get any sunlight.
So, if you trim or prune excess branches, you will have the opportunity to plant new plants under the tree, which will provide a beautiful arrangement.
Train Plants and Maintain Landscapes
Trimming and pruning is also an opportunity for shrub aesthetics to be developed and nurtured. By trimming wayward branches, you can shape hedges and keep evergreens dense and properly sized. A tree’s size and shape within a landscape can also be maintained through pruning. Consequently, this allows for the planned layout of a property to be supported.
The Takeaway
To make it short, property owners should do regular tree trimming or remove dead or dangerous branches of trees for tree health as soon as possible. In order to minimize hazards, dead wood must be removed, dangerous branches must be removed, and young trees must be properly cared for.
But keep in mind, for the sake of reducing the likelihood of injury or damage to property, these Tree services should only be performed by trained and experienced technicians.
Whether you want a yard management plan or are just curious about when to trim or prune your trees, Baxters Tree Services will create a detailed plan for every one of your trees and your desired outcome. The services we provide as tree trimmers and pruners are ready to serve you. Contact us right away with one click.
