How Simple Is Tree Pruning?
Often a tree gets sick and requires some sort of treatment. Mostly, it gets eaten up by fungus or beetles. In cases like these, instead of taking down the entire tree, you can cut out only the damaged part of the tree thus saving it from falling. This process is known as pruning.
Pruning is very important and it is something that a homeowner should regularly hire professional arborist to perform. If you do not pay much attention to it, it could slowly eat up the entire tree, leaving it hollow from inside. When this happens, the tree does not take much time to fall down and this could damage your property or maybe even hurt a family member. Besides, trees are expensive and they take years to grow so you cannot afford to let your treasured possessions go to waste. If the area to prune is too large, you might need a chain saw and other professional tools. It is a good idea to contact the local pruning contractor for the task.
If the tree is of average size and the pruning area is small, you can handle the job yourself, provided you have the right instructions and material. All you require is a pruning shear and pruning saw. There are a few tips that might help you get through the pruning process:
· Begin by cutting off the dying branches and limbs that seem structurally weak. These limbs generally look decayed with distressed, colorless leaves.
· Do not completely go inside the trunk; rather make cuts just outside the collar of the branch. This will take lesser time in healing the wound.
· If the tree is newly planted, do not touch the useful limbs.
· Some tree trunks are forked, which can lead to many problems like inferior health and form. You can prune them to dominate one of the trunks only.
· A mature stable branch should be pruned only till 8 feet. Do not go further than that.
· After the first few years of tree growth, the tendency of growth tends to shoot up rapidly. When the tree is at this age, try to get rid of all the branches that grow more than 12 to 18 inches. This way you control the tree’s growth.
· In order to prune a tree more effectively, you should remove the dying branches while attempting to keep the wood step intact.
With these simple steps, you can easily maintain healthier, stronger and more attractive trees.