In order to save some money, you may be considering pruning your own trees instead of hiring a professional. Effective DIY pruning is possible, but many homeowners are not satisfied with their results because they make one or more of these errors:
Pruning too late in the season.
Most trees should be trimmed in the late winter before the buds appear, because they are dormant during this time. If you prune after this, the tree will have to expend more energy to put out the buds that are only to be trimmed off. Prune when the weather is too warm, and the exposed cuts may also become scorched by the sun, causing severe damage to the tree's overall vitality.
Using "dull" pruning shears.
Make sure the pruning shears you are using are sharp enough to cut through the branch in one movement. If you have to "work" the blades, resulting in a frayed branch, the tree will have a harder time healing this uneven wound than it would a clean one. Most local hardware stores will sharpen pruning shears, so it's a good idea to have yours sharpened before each pruning session.
Cutting branches flush to the trunk.
In an effort to do a "neat" job, many people cut branches off as close to the trunk as possible. This is actually a mistake that can stress out your tree. The first few inches of a branch closest to the trunk contain a special kind of tissue known as branch collar. This tissue is adept at healing the wound when you cut through it. Make sure you leave a few inches of branch protruding from the trunk when you cut. Cut closer to the trunk, and the tissue you're cutting through won't heal as well.
Removing too many lower branches.
If you remove too many branches from the lower portion of the tree, you end up with a tree that looks like a stalk of broccoli -- it has a long, bare trunk and a tuft of foliage at the top. Not only does this look unattractive, but it also decreases your tree's lifespan since it no longer has enough leaves to absorb sunlight and make food for itself. Make sure that rather than just removing lower branches, you are removing branches from the edge of the canopy, not its interior. Avoid removing more than 15 - 20% of the foliage from a mature tree.
Contact a service like All Around Landscape & Tree Service for professional help.
Share27 November 2015
After we moved into our house, we knew that something had to be done about our trees. The branches looked off-kilter, and we could tell that someone had pruned them incorrectly at one time or another. Unfortunately, we weren't really sure how to repair the damage. A family friend talked with us about hiring a professional tree trimmer, and so we called them the next day. The difference that they made was astounding. They removed dead branches, trimmed up the shape, and let more sunlight through. My blog is all about improving the look of your trees by hiring a professional.