Tree Pruning

There is more to tree pruning than you can imagine.  Pruning your tree(s) is essential in their growth.  Tree pruning can be performed on fruit bearing trees and hardwoods.  Careful planning of when you perform tree pruning techniques is essential to maintaining healthy trees.

Some of the most common tree pruning techniques used today are crown reduction pruning, crown raising and crown thinning on larger, more mature trees in order to grow healthy and symmetrically.  There are other forms of tree pruning that are necessary in maintaining healthy trees.  Often we have to trim or remove live branches as well as the dead ones.  Knowing how to properly perform these cuts will enhance tree growth and reduce tree damage.  Sometimes heavier limbs when cut, can tear the bark below the limb away from the tree, thus leaving a bigger problem to deal with.  WC Tree Service makes undercuts on the limb first, almost always eliminates the tearing of bark away from the tree trunk.

There are several tree pruning techniques that should be avoided at all costs.

Topping trees and tipping trees are two common methods of pruning trees.  Utility company contractors are the worst about these but they must maintain the right of way, even though it is ugly sometimes.

Tree topping is pruning by removing the entire top of the tree trunk.  It is like going three quarters the way up the tree and cutting it off.  This practice leads to disease and puts your trees into shock.  Tree tipping is pruning by the removing the ends of limbs that extend outwards.  The problem with this type of pruning is that it causes excessive budding of the limb from the end of the cut.  This is unsightly and the open wound, can cause the branch to decay from the end and work its way back toward the trunk of the tree.

Tree Pollarding

Tree pollarding is a type of pruning where you remove the previous year’s limb growth.  Most of these shoots and limbs will never grow properly, so it is important to remove them.  Knowing when to prune your trees is very important.  There are certain types of trees that can be pruned anytime of the year.  There are those trees that should only be pruned during the winter months, when the sap is not rising. Pruning flowering trees should be performed during the non-growing or dormant growing seasons to enhance bud production the following season.  You may prune dead limbs any time of the year.