Trees add a tremendous amount of value to your property. They offer ample shade, a peaceful place to cool down, and absorb air pollution. But to have that immense value, your trees need to be strong, healthy, and maintained.
Trees with insects or full of disease with dead branches can become liabilities and lessen the value of your property.
Reasons Pruning is Important
There are several reasons for pruning:
- To maintain tree and shrub health
- To train your plants
- To improve the quality of fruit, foliage, or flowers on your plant
- To restrict the growth of your plant
Hiring a Southwest Florida tree expert ensures your trees live a long healthy life and your property maintains its curb appeal.
Southwest Florida Tree Pruning
Trees in Southwest Florida need pruning two to five years after planting. Pruning a tree before it is time slows plant growth.
After the initial pruning, trees must be pruned every one to three years. Most trees in Southwest Florida have shallow roots, making it extremely important that they are given sufficient time to take root.
Tips on Proper Pruning Techniques
Following proper pruning techniques enhances the beauty of your trees and shrubs. On the flip side, improper pruning can easily ruin your plant’s potential. It is better not to prune than to prune incorrectly.
For proper pruning technique, make a cut at the branch collar. The branch collar is where the branch joins the main trunk. Cutting into the branch collar dramatically reduces any chance of decay expanding into the tree’s main trunk.
Make the pruning cuts in a particular order. This ensures the number of cuts is significantly reduced. Remove all broken, diseased, or dead limbs by cutting them at the point of origin. Often removing the damaged branches opens the canopy enough that no further pruning is required.
Improper Pruning Techniques
Using improper pruning methods results in healthy plants becoming deformed or weakened.
Topping or Hatracking
Topping, also referred to as Hatracking, is a type of pruning where most of the canopy is removed from the tree, leaving branch stubs.
Tree topping initiates decay in the trunk and main branches, resulting in the attraction of wood-boring insects.
Tree topping is the equivalent of butchering a tree. Tree care experts will never top your trees.
Excessive Lifting
Excessive lifting is a common pruning practice where the tree’s lower branches are removed, providing clearance for cars and building structures.
Excessive lifting, or the excessive thinning of a tree, is a poor pruning practice. This type of pruning causes trees to become top-heavy and reduces trunk taper, increasing the chances of branch failure.
Hiring a Tree Expert for Pruning
Tree pruning is a science. Although it seems easy enough to remove the parts of your dead, dying, or overgrown plant, it is not that simple. Tree care professionals ensure that your trees and plants remain safe and healthy for many years to come. Improper pruning can cause your plant to develop problems that can provoke an unnecessary, premature death.
If you are interested in learning more about proper tree pruning and would like a consultation, don’t hesitate to contact the Southwest Florida tree experts at Joshua Tree.