Tree Trimming & Pruning

Crown cleaning a trees canopy consists of pruning dead & diseased limbs, excess branches, and crossing or rubbing limbs out of the crown of a tree. Each tree may require more or less work depending on many factors such as proximity of tree to resources, tree location, and tree species. An arborist can assess a tree to determine the branches that should be trimmed.

Thinning out the interior crossing or rubbing limbs, and sucker growth is a common and acceptable practice. Thinning can help reduce wind resistance in a tree, thus reducing the chances of a wind storm blowing over a tree. It can also increase sunlight for your grass to grow. Tree Trimmers must be careful not to cut too much and form what is called a Lion Tail, where a limb has no foliage except on the very ends.

Elevating the lower limbs on a tree is necessary at times when limbs are encroaching on a structure, hang low over a sidewalk or road, or hang low over the grass, etc. Elevating a tree increases the clearance from the ground to the lowest remaining foliage by trimming up the lower branches. When elevating lower limbs on a tree, it is important to take a step back and see the entire tree, so the tree is balanced after the prune.

Crown Reduction

Crown Reducing is a method of reducing a trees height and width by a certain percentage or footage. “Topping” is not a recommended pruning method, unless there is a safety factor such as a large dead or dying tree. Crown Reduction is usually performed on a tree that is prevalent to storm damage, leaning toward a structure, or a tree that has outgrown the area it was planted in. Drop Crotch pruning is an acceptable method that results in a crown reduction by cutting the longest ‘terminal’ branch on a limb, and leaving the shorter ones on that same branch.

Shaping a tree is a method performed usually by pole clips or shears and involves trimming the entire canopy all the way around the circumference to form a nice round shape. This is often completed on Little Leaf Linden, Bradford Pear, Holly, and mostly smaller sized trees. Keep in mind, when shaping a tree to gain a certain look for your landscape, it will require you to prune the tree more often, usually every couple years if not more.

Vista pruning, which is judicious removal of branches to enhance a specific view from a defined location, is also frequently performed, especially for consumers with homes near mountains or the shore. Selective pruning limbs on a tree to provide better visibility could be to achieve a more favorable view of the mountains, or for instance better visibility of traffic when entering or exiting your driveway. There are many situations for vista pruning. Only select limbs should be taken and its best to consult a professional to determine if any cuts will harm the tree or trees.

A Nature’s cut involves taking the top or canopy out of the tree for safety concerns. Generally a large dead or dying tree that is not in close proximity to a structure or in a highly occupied area are candidates for a Natures cut. A 20-25’ spar is left standing for living things in nature to use. The spar that is left standing should be left at a height that is less than the total distance to a structure or occupied area to maintain safety in case it falls. Generally, a tree that is a candidate for a natures cut is usually in a woods line or out of the way.

One aspect of pruning that is most frequently overlooked by consumers is structural pruning of young trees. Trees evolved in forests where they tend to grow straight and lose lower branches due to competition for light. When planted in full sun in the landscape, many species tend to develop multiple stems/leaders that are more prone to failure. Lower branches tend to grow at the same rate as the terminal leader that result in weak attachments that also are likely to fail later in the life of the plant. So pruning trees when they are young and growing quickly is critical to ensuring a strong framework for future growth. This pruning focuses on maintaining a single dominant stem unless multiple stem “clumps” are specifically desired. Branches are pruned so their size remains proportional to the stem diameter at their point of attachment. As trees grow, some branches are removed to ensure adequate spacing between permanent scaffold limbs. The shape of the tree is maintained to provide a natural open grown form typical of the species.

Are the squirrels keeping you up at night, or are the branches rubbing against your house? Clearing tree limbs away from your house or structure is a very common task. The branches should be cut properly, back to the nearest lateral limb just outside the branch collar. Generally, clearing limbs away from a structure is completed by certain footage effective to clear the structure but at the same time not harming the tree and keeping its structural integrity.