Top Tips for Pruning Trees Correctly
Taking proper care of the trees on your property achieves various things. First, pruning allows trees to grow healthy, reducing competition for nutrients from their branches. Pruning also helps a tree grow aesthetically, which is essential for a beautiful landscape. Safety is another benefit that property owners derive from pruning their trees. That said, most people think that pruning is just a matter of cutting unwanted branches haphazardly. However, that is not the case since poor pruning can injure a tree. This article highlights essential tips to help you prune trees correctly.
Understand Pruning Cuts -- Pruning goals often determine the type of cut to make on a tree. Generally, there are two types of pruning cuts, heading cuts and thinning cuts, and the difference is their location on a branch. Heading cuts are usually carried out on the ends of a branch, leaving behind several buds that lead to more branches and dense foliage. On the other hand, thinning cuts aim to remove all branches, meaning that all buds are cut off a tree. Thus, a tree's energy is diverted from growing new branches to allowing existing ones to thrive. In this regard, heading cuts produce more foliage than thinning cuts.
Know Where to Cut -- The cut you make could be the difference between good and poor pruning. Therefore, it is advisable to cut back in the direction you want a branch to grow when cutting a branch or twig. This approach helps control the growth of new and healthy branches or foliage because most pruning cuts are made at the branch collar. Notably, the part contains vascular tissues that feed branches with nutrients and water. Cutting the collar in the wrong direction injures and damages the vascular tissues and interferes with a tree's protective mechanism. As a result, it makes a tree susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. The best way to avoid cutting mistakes is to avoid a branch entirely if you are unsure whether to remove it. After all, you can cut a branch later, but you cannot put it back once you make a mistake.
Three Cuts for Large Branches -- You should treat large and small branches differently when pruning trees. The reason is that pruning large branches the wrong way can lead to unwarranted stripping of a tree's bark. Therefore, large branches require three cuts to prevent damage to the bark. Make the first cut below the stem a few inches from the collar. The second cut should be made on a branch's upper section but a few inches away from the first cut. A branch's weight will force it to snap between the first and second cut, leaving behind a clean stub. Finally, the third and last cut is made to remove the stud.
Contact a company that offers tree pruning services to learn more.
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