Tree trimming is essential for promoting the health of trees, and there are also several other benefits that might not be immediately obvious. Arbor Enterprises, a leading Pittsboro, NC landscape company, shares their answers on why tree trimming is important, when to prune trees and how to get started.

Why is tree trimming important?

The best landscape companies agree, tree trimming offers several key benefits including promoting the health of the tree, the safety of others and the control of growth.

For the health of the tree

• If there are any dead, damaged or diseased branches, these should be removed. This will help to prevent any insects or decay organisms from entering the tree.
• Where branches are crossing each other, one should be removed to prevent any damage that could be caused by rubbing against each other.
• If the tree has a dense canopy, this should be thinned to increase the tree’s access to air and sunlight which will help to prevent future disease.
• Where there are weak or very narrow crotches, these should be removed to prevent breaks or tears as these crotches tend to split apart as trees grow older.
• Where there are two branches at the top of the tree that are equally dominant, one should be cut off to prevent the branches from splitting or tearing in heavy winds.

For the safety of others

Tree trimming is an effective way to maintain good tree structure and will prevent safety hazards that could harm others. This includes low growing branches or fallen branches as a result of storm damage that may impact driveways, homes or sidewalks. Partnering with a top local landscape company for tree trimming will reduce risks to personal property and ensure the exercise of best safety practices.

For the control of growth

• Dominant branches may change the growth paths of other branches resulting in an uneven, misshapen tree. To pre-empt this, those branches should be removed to maintain the tree’s natural form.
• Tree trimming can also stimulate growth in sparse areas or, if needed, restrict growth where dense foliage is not desirable.

When do you prune a tree?

If a tree has dead or damaged branches or branches that are diseased, these should be removed by an experienced landscape company as soon as possible. Tree trimming to promote new growth and the optimum health of the tree should be done in late winter or early spring just before the tree’s buds begin to open. In general, tree trimming can be done at any stage and should only be avoided during hot, dry periods and in the depths of winter.

How do you prune a tree?

Keep in mind that tree trimming can be a technical, intensely physical job and in many cases is best left to the experts. Working with a top landscaping company such as Arbor Enterprises in Pittsboro, NC can ensure that the tree is trimmed correctly, and no-one is hurt in the process. When done correctly, trimming is helpful to a tree, but flush cuts and leaving a stub is not the best way to trim and may cause the tree to rot in those areas.

Before starting with tree trimming, decide what needs to be pruned and why. Then, once you have a plan in place, decide what equipment you will need. The most common equipment items used for tree trimming are hand pruners, loppers and pruning saws. For bigger tasks, specialist equipment may be needed, and this is best handled by a professional landscape company that offers tree trimming and tree removal.

Arbor Enterprises in Pittsboro, NC, offers a full range of landscaping services to the residents of Pittsboro, NC. In addition to tree trimming and tree removal, they also offer full-service hardscaping and softscaping design solutions.