6 Basic Tree Pruning Tips

Tree pruning is a phenomenon of overall maintenance of a tree. It can sometimes be regarded as a process of cutting down unwanted old branches for the betterment of the whole plant or tree. Like our nails and hair need to be cut after some time, same is the case with the trees.

Things to know about tree pruning

Your tree might grow wildly without any aesthetic look if you don’t manage to prune it regularly. Below are some basic tips as followed by all tree removal services.

Observe Carefully

The first step of tree pruning is to carefully observe the specific tree you want to prune. Take a deep look into the old, weak and easily breakable branches.

It is important to determine the season in which you are intending to prune your tree. Summer seasons are preferable in terms of cutting and shunning old branches. Winter seasons might aggravate the tree growth up to unwanted rate in the following spring seasons.

Analyze the type of tree you want to prune. You must visualize in your mind; how good the tree would look after the trimming process. You have to look into the size and number of branches. Carefully select the branches you want to cut down, you should not do any harm to the healthy branches, as it might cause unhealthy tree growth afterwards.

Be Equipped

The elementary step in the pruning process is to get the right equipment. These are easily available in the market. You should be equipped with the following tools and equipment for tree pruning:

  • Safety Gloves
  • Safety Goggles
  • Pruning shears
  • Clippers
  • Scissors
  • Waste bin for collecting tree remains

Start Cutting the Damaged Branches

There might be some branches that might have been broken by strong winds, storms or any other reason. You have to watchfully cut them down. These broken branches might be letting air passage into the tree that is not all a good sign for maintaining good nutrient-level in the tree. The broken areas might aggravate the growth of algae and fungi around the bark. Therefore, you have to cut the broken or feeble tree branches as an initial step of pruning.

Prune Close Areas

You should look for the areas where there is a high density of tree branches intertwined with each other.

You should cut down some of these branches and decrease branch density so that there is sufficient branch to branch space. Not only it will make your tree look better in appearance but it will also increase the air supply and circulation in the tree. Air circulation is very necessary for a healthy plant growth. It increases the oxygen content of the surrounding and decreases unwanted carbon dioxide around.

You should remove the branch from a distance of about 20 cm from the main trunk.  The lateral and longitudinal branches of your tree should be equally spaced for best noticeable looks. It might take some time to do that but you can surely master perfect pruning with one or two tree-pruning.

How Much You Need to Prune

Tree pruning needs to be done once per seasons. It should not be done frequently. As a matter of fact, a good tree should be pruned up to 25 percent of its total volume. You should not prune it beyond this limit as it may cause serious damage to the tree and ultimately halt the growth. If you cut down all the branches of the tree, it may die out ultimately despite having a healthy thick trunk. Trunk alone cannot help in much growth so prune less. Less pruning increases the aesthetics of tree, ensures sufficient growth and provide resistance against infections and fungal attacks.

Clean Your Pruning Equipment

Once you are finished with the tree pruning process. Make sure that you cautiously clean all your equipment. Dispose your gloves and wash your hands with a good sanitizer. Change your clothes immediately after cutting the branches. Dispose the remains of the branches to a suitable place. This will ensure your safety as the tree might be a host to many contagious diseases and insects. Pruning is a great part time activity; you can enjoy doing it by following the above discussed tips.

If you think the process is messy or you’re too busy for it, it is a good idea to a hire a tree removal service bethesda md

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