Guarding the Greens: The Purpose Behind Tree Pruning
There are some purpose behind tree pruning that this local tree service company will discuss today.
The Why and How of Pruning Trees
As homeowners, you enjoy several benefits that the trees on your property bring to you. Giving you clean air, offering shade and cooling, cutting down on pollutants that enter your home, and more. You may take these benefits for granted, but it is in your best interest to take proper care of your trees so you can reap the benefits for many more years to come.
Proper care of your trees includes pruning. There are several reasons to prune your trees, and we’ll look at why and how.
Why You Should Prune Your Trees
Pruning is a practice of trimming trees for different reasons. While you can do the pruning yourself, having a professional do the work for you ensures a job properly done. The practice is more than just getting out a saw and cutting off a few branches. When done improperly, trimming can actually be harmful instead of helpful. You can affect the tree in negative ways, so proper pruning is important.
While a tree service may trim your tree to just help it keep its attractive appearance, there are several other reasons for trimming as well.
Trees that have branches reaching close to your home give much easier access to rodents finding their way into your home. You’ve probably heard of the occasional mouse or squirrel that has ended up in someone’s attic.
Furthermore, branches near your home that are a threat need pruned. You may suffer serious property damage if a strong storm or severe winds come through your area. Main tree branches have been known to land on the roofs of homes when hit by a strong storm.
Having natural shade by a fully flourished tree is nice, yet there are times when the canopy is a bit more than what you would like. Pruning can trim back your overgrown limbs, allowing for continual shading as well.
One final part of pruning that is a regular practice is removing dead tree limbs.
How Your Trees Should Be Pruned
Depending on the needs of your trees, different techniques will be used for the different needs. Let’s look at some of the methods:
Reduction pruning is the practice of bringing a tree down to a smaller size. It may entail cutting back the top of the crown of the tree, along with cutting back the side branches to make the tree less wide. Some people choose to have this method done because the tree is outgrowing the size they would like it to be.
Thinning is done in the crown of the tree to allow more sunlight through the tree, specifically the lower area, and also improving the circulation of air in the top half of the tree.
Raising is done to remove limbs that hang low and are obstacles for people. This is beneficial around sidewalks, walkways and driveways.
Cleaning is to take away the low hanging branches and the dead branches.
Additionally, pruning helps reduce the risk of your trees becoming home to a number of insects and fungi.