How Tree Trimming Makes Your Tree Healthier
While you might be wounding your tree in the short-term when you trim branches, a good tree trimming can make your tree healthier in the long-run. Trees that are mishapen can become imbalanced, and diseased portions of a tree can potentially kill the entire plant if they are not removed. A tree trimming service can help your tree in the following ways.
Removing Dead and Dying Branches
If you notice that a branch is dangling, broken, diseased, or dying, you should remove the branch. When you cut into a tree branch, you may notice green plant material underneath. If this is the case, the branch is still alive. However, if there is no green plant matter, the branch is dead or dying and can be removed.
Preventing Fires
When you live in an area that is prone to fires, dead and damaged branches can increase the risk that fire will spread to your area. Your tree will be more likely to catch on fire. Thinning will not only make your tree less flammable but will also promote the growth of the tree.
Promoting Healing
If you have a hardwood tree, you might want to perform a stub cut. This will allow this type of tree to heal itself. The stub cut is made inside the collar of the tree. Make sure to remove enough of the tree so that you don't cause the tree to rot.
Increasing Light Penetration
You may also trim a tree to increase the light penetration to the crown. This is done to help improve food production for the tree. In some cases, you may choose not to prune a mature and healthy tree at all.
Establishing Younger Trees
Tree trimming is more necessary for younger trees, as long as they are not newly planted. You'll want to prune any crossing branches, root suckers, double leaders, and water sprouts. Remove lower branches to raise the tree's crown. However, don't prune trees that have just been newly planted because they need all the foliage they can get to support root development and establishment.
Over-pruning a tree can be dangerous to the plant. If you remove 20-30% of the tree, you will cause the tree's health to decline. If this is done repeatedly over the course of several years, you may even cause the death of the tree. For this reason, it's a good idea to hire a tree trimming service. Tree trimming services are trained in the best practices for trimming a tree and keeping it healthy.