Tree trimming is best left to the pros. It’s dangerous work, climbing trees, wielding chainsaws and dropping heavy branches to the ground; and it can be dangerous for the tree as well. Trees that are improperly pruned can sustain a lifetime of damage.
Rather than putting yourself and putting the tree at risk, enlist a professional who is trained and experienced to do it for you.
This will result in stronger trees and a safer environment surrounding your home for many reasons:
- Healthy trees are sturdier and not as likely to cause damage during severe storms
- Maintained trees won’t attract or spread parasites and diseases
- Trimmed trees produce more flowers or fruit
- Pruned trees offer shade while still allowing air to flow through their canopies and your property
ND Tree Trimming highly encourages trimming trees that are very close to your home or all that are a focus of your landscape.
Is Tree Trimming Necessary?
It is not necessary. But it is important. Trees are very resilient and survive on their own across the world, in many different climates and regions, without pruning.
That said, there are many benefits of tree pruning, so it’s highly recommended for any trees that you value. This can include sentimental trees, fruit trees and blossoming trees or trees that perform an important service for your home, such as shade or home to wildlife.
Tree Trimming Gone Wrong
Pruning a tree is a difficult project. You are going to need the right tools and a lot of information to ensure the project is done right. The majority of homeowners don’t have either of these!
But that’s not a problem, because there are plenty of professionals available who know how to properly prune trees for an affordable price to you including all arborists in North Dakota we work with!
Below are the 5 mistakes people make when attempting DIY tree pruning that can lead to several tree problems. These are things that a trained arborist from ND Tree Trimming will know, and that’s the reason why their services are worth the price!
Pruning Too Much
When done properly, trimming is a never-ending process. Starting when your trees are just 2 or 3 years old, they should be maintained by a professional if you value them and desire to keep them strong and healthy.
A big mistake that homeowners make when trimming trees themselves is cutting too much of the tree at a time. This happens because they let the tree’s growth get out of hand and try to fix it all at once. Ideally, you should not cut off more than 5-20% of the tree’s crown at a time. It is much easier to do this during a season that the leaves are off, but a certified arborist is able to safely trim trees any time of year.
Removing Tree Bark
When you cut a tree limb and gravity starts to pull it down, it can tear off bark from the trunk right along with it. This exposes the tree’s inner layers, leaving the tree in danger of attracting diseases and making it easier for insects to find their way in.
To stop this from happening, a trained arborist will make special cuts beneath large branches before making their final removal cut. Knowing how to place these initial cuts takes pressure off the branch collar and lowers the stress at the exact point of the main cut so the tree branch doesn’t rip.
Pruning in the Wrong Place
A trained tree specialist knows exactly where to trim each limb to protect against damage. This cut should be done just beyond the branch collar, the specific place where the branch connects to the trunk.
Cutting too close to the branch collar exposes the tree to pests and decay. Cutting too far away from it leaves a stump when the tree has recovered. Most DIY tree trimming leads to an improper cut, leaving either structural or aesthetic problems.
Trimming Large Branches
Branches any larger than 4 inches in diameter really shouldn’t be trimmed unless it is absolutely necessary. Cutting off a branch this large can lead to imbalance in the tree and expose it to pests and rodents and rot as the tree recovers from such a large loss.
Conservative trimming every year ensures that your tree trimmer only has to remove branches that are 2-3 inches in diameter, which results in a more attractive shape for the tree and less chance of harming the tree or exposing it to decay and pests.
Topping the Tree
Tree topping is an outdated type of pruning, and for good reason! During this service, tree trimming companies would just cut the top off of the tree to achieve the desired height. It was not attractive nor beneficial for the tree, so the majority of tree care companies do not practice tree topping anymore.
During DIY tree pruning, you may think this is a good way to lower the height of your tree with just one cut, but once you have cut the top of a tree off, there’s virtually no chance that it will ever regain a natural shape.
The Solution? Call ND Tree Trimming
Let’s face it. Your tree may never recover from poor pruning.
Doing this job yourself might seem like a way to save money, but you might end up with way more cost trying to revive damaged trees, so it’s much safer (and more economical in the long run) to hire a certified arborist in North Dakota from ND Tree Trimming.
Limbs don’t grow back. The tree will grow more, but it will not grow back in the same places, which can result in odd shapes that might take years to fix. The tree could end up looking bad for the remainder of its life, all because of just one trimming error.
Bad trimming could also cause death of the tree. Cutting off too many limbs (and, therefore, leaves) can inhibit the tree’s photosynthesis process, meaning it won’t get enough water or enough sunlight and carbon dioxide to continue growing.
Cutting off too many branches can also send the tree into a state of shock. Shock can be overcome, but it takes a great deal of care and patience. Even with proper care, a tree experiencing shock may still die.
Avoid all of these tree pruning mistakes and call ND Tree Trimming to speak with a tree care specialist in North Dakota able to come up with a plan to ensure your tree continues to blossom and look beautiful for years to come!
