Through the years of caring for trees within the Bay Area, one thing we have found is that the majority of homeowners do not know how to properly prune or care for a tree. We enjoy meeting with homeowners to help guide and educate them on how to care for trees so that they can live their full lifespan, be safe, maximize health, and look their best. When a tree is pruned properly it can live for generations, but when it is pruned improperly its lifespan can be reduced by half and become more of a hazard. If this winter there is another storm, you may be forced to prune your tree to prevent failure in a rush. We hope the information provided will help you make the best decision for your trees when the time comes to prune.
Keep reading for the best pruning practices and tips!
Best time of year to prune is winter
During winter trees and plants go dormant. They are not actively growing and using their stored resources. This is the best time to prune and cause the least amount of damage to the tree’s health.
What Does Healthy Pruning Consist Of?
A healthy prune maintains and enhances the trees natural aesthetics and structure.This may involve simply pruning out dead branches or reducing the length of a branch growing towards the home. Determining the type of pruning needed is based on what type of pruning was performed previously and the tree’s current structural integrity. If the tree was topped or over pruned in the past, it may require reconstructive pruning to begin redeveloping the structure. If the tree has a major structural weakness it may require severe pruning to mitigate the risk. If pruning is needed, the tree will benefit most from the proper pruning method. Pruning Mature Trees PDF
What Characterizes Poor Pruning?
During this winter, there may be a desire to prune a tree in a rush due to coming storms or a major branch failure. The tendency is to prune heavily and aggressively in order to feel safer with the tree. This type of pruning in many cases can cause long term defects and health impacts.
Here are some things to watch out for as you prune your tree or hire a firm to perform the work to ensure the trees health and structure is preserved:
Avoid Topping:
This can create more issues for the lifetime of the tree and it cannot be undone once performed. Avoiding the inclination to do this will prevent other issues. Why Topping Hurts PDF
Avoid Lion Tailing:
This type of pruning removes all the interior branches from the main limbs and leaves all the foliage at the end. This causes the branch to be weak, lack trunk taper, and due to all the weight being at the end it often will break within a short time. The damage resulting from this type of pruning can ruin the tree’s structure and make it more of a hazard. It is very commonly performed when proper pruning knowledge is lacking, but can be avoided with using proper pruning techniques. Here is a detailed document of what the impacts of lion tailing are: Lion Tailing Fact Sheet PDF
Tips To Prune Your Own Trees
If you would like to begin pruning your own trees, here are some of the basics to perform:
- Proper cut: made at the branch collar and branch union. Avoid tearing the bark beyond the final cut.
- Preserve and develop the main structural branches. Avoid topping to damage this.
- Encourage a main leader on single trunk trees.
- Encourage balance of the canopy and avoid overgrowth on one side of the canopy.
- Encourage a natural appearance: part of the fun in pruning is identifying the tree’s unique structure and assisting the tree in its development. This is where it may require some creativity while using the science based methods. Each tree is different and when pruning it’s often tailored to the tree.
Here is a guide you can use to begin pruning or understanding what type of pruning is needed for your tree: Pruning Young Trees PDF