3 Trimming Tips For Successful Pruning

by Grace Motley

Regularly trimming branches is important for maintaining the health and appearance of your trees. Trimming your trees can also increase your safety if you are worried about branches falling or interfering with your power lines. Trimming might seem like a big job; however, there are many different ways to make trimming easier and more effective. Three of these tips are listed below: 

1. Trim during the dormant season.

While you can and should remove dead or potentially dangerous branches whenever they become problems, it is best to do heavy trimming in the winter, when tree growth is temporarily stopped. This technique allows for more new growth in the spring, and the wounds from pruning will heal better, preventing unsightly scars. Pruning fruit trees in the late winter is also beneficial to the fruit crop because trimming exposes the center of the tree to more sunlight. 

2. Trim when the branches are young.

Pruning your trees while the branches are young is much easier than waiting until they have matured. These young branches are more manageable and, when removed, will leave smaller wounds that heal better and faster. Removing young, weak branches will also make the tree more balanced and increase the tree's strength, which is essential for helping it withstand snow, rain storms and strong winds. 

3. Trim as little as possible.

Do not take away too many branches when trimming, and only heavily trim once per season. Carefully and sparingly trimming will allow the tree to heal faster and grow properly. It is better to remove a small amount of branches regularly than to take away a large amount all at once. A good rule of thumb is to never remove more than 25% of a tree's branches. 

To maintain tree strength, do not remove any of the main branches that make up the tree's skeleton. Take some time to determine which branches are essential to the tree. After differentiating the skeleton branches from the others, focus on removing dead or damaged branches, and then work on thinning out the remaining branches. Give the branches room to grow by eliminating crowding, and remove branches that grow inward, as they cause clutter more than other branches.  

For jobs that are too big, be sure to call a professional service, like Tony's Tree And Landscaping Inc, as they will have the equipment needed for industrial tree trimming.

When it comes to trimming our trees, it can difficult to know where to start or how much to take away. Review these tips before getting started, and enjoy your new, more attractive, and healthier trees! 

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