Local Tree Trimming Services Mistakes and Blunders

Needless to say maintaining trees, shrubs, and bushes so they don’t get out of hand is a big responsibility. Managing the foliage around your trees is easier said than done.

A large part of managing overgrown vegetation is to prune and trim trees properly. If pruning is formed incorrectly, you will end up injuring your trees. Its important (for the sake of your trees) to contact a local tree trimming services professional (hint. hint.)

Here is a breakdown of the five most common tree pruning and trimming mistakes people make and how you can avoid making them.

Timing Is Everything

Your success (or failure) depends mainly on the time of season you set to accomplish the task at hand. All trees are different and the right time to prune depends on the tree’s specie, its current state and/or condition, and the season in which you are trimming.

Note: This is what WE are here for. Having a trained eye or licensed tree expert help evaluate your trees goes a long way in avoiding mistakes. 

Is there potential disease forming within your trees? If a tree is already distressed with disease or infestation (insects), pruning it will only cause more stress on the structure of the tree, which will inevitably damage it further.

Improper Cut

One of the most common mistakes which can happen when doing it yourself is making an improper cut. By cutting the branches too close to the trunk of the tree you inadvertently end up removing protective tissue. This includes the branch collar, which has specific biological cells to help heal the wound you initially made when you cut the limb. An open injury can be harmful because it can allow infection, disease, and illness your bleed into your shrubs, trees, or bushes.

Takeaway-Make sure you never cut branches or limbs flush with the main trunk as it can significantly hurt the tree’s immune system and its ability to heal. 

Over-Pruning

Over-pruning can cause more issues later. Why do you ask? Trees need foliage to transfer nutrients, produce food, and stay upright. And when you take too much of the canopy away, it drastically increases your tree’s chances of becoming diseased because the more you prune, the more you limit the tree the ability to transfer enough nutrients or water to survive.

If you have many trees and notice the grass under the trees beginning to thin out, do not trim all the canopys of the trees. Instead, remove randomly selected trees in close proximity to each other to allow sunshine to penetrate all the way through the canopy.

This enhances the remaining tree’s ability to stay healthy.

Takeaway- Never remove more than twenty percent of a tree’s foliage. Usually, between 10%-15% is sufficient.

Lion Tailing

Another mistake to avoid when pruning a tree is called lion tailing. In laments terms, lion tailing is when you trim the tree canopy too high.

When a portion of grass beginning to thin, we might be inclined to raise the canopy in hopes of drawing more sun onto the ground. This isn’t true. All you will end up doing is removing too many lower branches and/or limbs, giving the tree a “head in the clouds” look. This creates the illusion of an abnormally tall trunk with a disproportionately tiny canopy at the top.

You can accomplish more by removing selected trees in a careful manner to allow for more sunlight and grass to grow. You can also perform structural pruning on the trees left standing to increase likelihood for healthy grass as well as flora to thrive.

Topping

And now ladies and gentlemen the biggest mistake of all-topping a tree. When a tree, shrub, or bush is too over crowded in much too small a space a lot of people will top it.

Simply put topping is when you cut away a vast expanse of the crown of the tree. This also includes all the leafing branches and limbs across the top portion of the tree. By performing this type of trimming, you are structurally weakening the integrity of the tree. It will deform the tree. 

Why is it Important to Understand Pruning Mistakes?

Trimming and pruning trees is a large part of being a homeowner and taking care of your landscaping. The key to knowing what to do is knowing what NOT to do. 

Over-pruning is a dangerous way to maintain the longevity of your trees. It will accidentally strip the tree of nutrients as well as water that it needs which ultimately causes distress and possibly death.

Taking a little time to internalize how to avoid tree trimming mistakes will go a long way to helping your trees thrive beautifully!

Give love to your trees and you shall receive! If you don’t have the time to take on the tasks at hand, then make sure to have a trustworthy local tree trimming service company accommodate for you. Have a fantastic weekend.