Best Practice for Tree Pruning

Tree pruning affects a tree for its lifetime. Pruning trees without an understanding of their growth, structure and dynamics can be detrimental. Not all tree pruning is equal, so it is important to use best practices when pruning trees.

Bad pruning can make the tree a hazard over time. This is why it is important that you hire an arborist that has the training, experience, and certifications to prune your trees the right way.

Every pruning cut is a wound that a tree has to heal. Each wound has the potential to let decay into the tree. Removing large limbs can be especially harmful to trees. It can increase the risk of decay and has the potential to leave the crown unbalanced, increasing the risk of future failure.

At Baum Professional Tree Care, our certified arborists understand trees and how to properly prune them. We want to ensure that the trees stay healthy and beautiful throughout their lifetime.

Tree Health & Maintenance 

Trees provide us with so many benefits. We want to make sure they remain healthy so that they can continue to provide those benefits for years to come.

We have all seen risks that trees can present in severe weather. During ice storms or high winds, falling branches can cause damage to buildings, cars, or knock down utility wires. The failures are frequently located at defects that are present in the tree. Damage, disease and decay may have been affecting the tree over time and without mitigation leaves it vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.

A trained arborist can identify these tree defects and prescribe pruning that lowers the risk of failure and increases the longevity of the tree.

Remember that not all pruning is equal — it’s important that you hire trained professionals to make the most appropriate pruning cuts; otherwise, you could be causing more problems than you’re solving.

We recommend booking a free consultation with one of our arborists to identify the best way to address the situation.

Our Tree Pruning Services

At Baum Tree Care, we offer many different types of tree pruning services:

  • Standard prune involves removing deadwood, branches that are interfering with each other, and compromised or diseased limbs.
  • Crown reductions relieve stress on branches, reduce the chance of tree failure, and prolong the life of a tree. A crown reduction alleviates stress on weak branch attachments. It also can lessen the load on pockets of decay. Crown reductions reduce the risk of storm damage and can also help to restore a damaged crown after a storm.
  • Structural pruning helps to promote healthy growth and lower the risk of storm damage. Both established trees as well as newly planted ones benefit from structural pruning. Starting this type of pruning when the tree is young and newly planted is the most effective way to ensure a strong and healthy tree for the long-term.
  • Clearance pruning addresses branches that interfere with buildings, other trees, or utility wires.
  • Hazard branch removal is necessary when a tree has broken or compromised limbs. Whether the branch remains attached sometimes still attached or are hangers in the tree. hanging or when a tree’s limbs have been otherwise compromised.
  • Small tree and shrub pruning - fine pruning, fruit trees etc.
  • Hedge Trimming to keep your hedge looking tidy.

FAQ

Can you prune trees in the winter?

Yes, you can! Most deciduous trees can benefit from pruning done between late winter and early spring while they are dormant. Some of the main benefits of pruning during dormancy are:

  • Reduced risk of disease transmission
  • Reduced stress on trees
  • Easier to evaluate the tree’s structure 

How much can you remove from my tree?

We generally follow the ISA’s Best Management Practices for pruning which recommends to remove no more than 30% of a tree’s live crown. Since each tree is unique, we will determine how much pruning is necessary on a case-by-case basis using factors such as the age, species, and general health of the tree. 

Is it okay to top a tree?

No. We do not recommend topping trees and we do not offer it as a service. This practice can lead to major structural problems or even death of the tree. As an alternative, we can perform a crown reduction, which leaves your trees much more stable and healthy.

Contact us for a quote for tree pruning today!