Tree Trimming and Pruning

Trimming & Pruning Tips

By knowing the basics of trimming and tree pruning, you may be able to handle the majority of this kind of work yourself. There are a variety of great trimming tips and pruning techniques that can help keep your trees in excellent shape. With the right knowledge and equipment, you can prune your trees to maintain their appearance and health and eliminate potentially dangerous dead branches and other common issues.

While there are many trimming techniques, if you want to do this yourself, you only need to concern yourself with the basics to keep things in order. You can hire a professional and not think twice about it! Read our guide below for more information.

Reasons to Trim or Prune

Trees are generally trimmed for one of three purposes: aesthetics, safety or health. :

• Aesthetics– Pruning a tree effectively helps to maintain its shape and appearance. You shouldn’t try to impose an unnatural shape or size on a tree. The amount of trimming and pruning that will be needed could seriously damage it.
• Safety– Dead or broken branches and limbs can fall off at any time, a serious safety hazard. If the branches of a tree obstruct your vision while driving, they should be trimmed away. Finally, tree limbs and branches occasionally grow too close to utility lines. Contact the utility company to handle such issues.
• Health– It is sometimes possible to save an infected tree by strategically pruning away affected branches and limbs. Thinning the crown of a tree improves airflow, which can be very beneficial. They should be trimmed so they don’t fall unexpectedly if branches cross or rub together.

General Trimming Tips

It’s almost always best to prune a tree or trim it during its dormant season. Although you can technically prune a pine tree at any time, it is still better to do so when it is dormant. When a hazard exists, the only exception is.
Be conscientious about the size of the branch you will remove. Removing it is fine if it is less than five centimeters in diameter. You might not want to do it if it is between five and 10 centimeters in diameter. If it is more than 10 centimeters in diameter, you should only do so if you have a good reason.
Only trim branches that have weak, V-shaped, narrow angles. Retain branches that have strong, U-shaped angles.
> Lateral branches should be between one-half and three-quarters the diameter of the stem at point of attachment. Otherwise, they should be removed.
The living crown to tree height ratio should be two-thirds when complete pruning.
When they are young, try to prune away branches. They are much easier to manage at that point, and the risk of leaving nasty scars is much lower.
Don’t trim a branch too close or too long. You shouldn’t leave a large stub or remove the branch collar.

Tree Pruning Tips

The following tips and techniques will help guide you if you’re planning on pruning a tree or if you just want to educate yourself about typical tree trimming care and maintenance techniques.

If you need to thin the crown of a tree, you should keep the following tips and techniques in mind:

• Keep lateral branches as evenly spaced as possible, especially on young trees.
• Prune away branches that cross other branches or run against them.
• Once, never remove more than one-fourth of a living crown at. Spread it out over several years if you need to remove more than that.

You can raise the crown by carefully pruning the tree to provide clearance for pedestrians and other reasons. Maintain live branches at least two-thirds of a tree’s height. If you remove too many branches near the bottom half, the tree may not be able to develop a strong stem.

If you need to remove more than half of the foliage from a branch, just remove the whole branch.
If it’s really necessary, only reduce the crown of a tree. Prune lateral branches that are at least one-third of the stem’s diameter need to be removed.

Trimming Techniques

Here are a few tree pruning techniques to keep in mind:

• Before cutting, look for the branch collar, which grows from the stem tissue at the bottom base of the branch. Look for the branch ridge on the upper surface and is parallel to the branch angle at the stem.
• Always cut outside the branch bark ridge and angle your cut down and away from the stem. Take care not to injure the branch collar.
• Use the same technique to prune dead branches and living branches.
• If a stem is too long, use the three-cut technique: Make a notch on the side of the stem that faces away from the branch that’s being retained; make the second cut inside the crotch of the branch and above the branch ridge; the third cut will remove the stub by cutting through the stem parallel to the branch bark ridge.
• Keep these tricks and techniques from this tree pruning guide in mind before taking on the task of pruning and trimming your trees.

How Much Does Tree Trimming Cost?

If you want to keep your landscaping attractive, you should consider having your trees pruned and trimmed. Tree Trimming and pruning helps remove dead or broken limbs and help keep your tree healthy. The cost of tree trimming depends on various factors, especially whether you do it yourself or hire a professional. Learn more with our Tree Trimming Cost & Prices Guide. For a list of questions to ask a contractor, see our Tree Cutting & Trimming Service Guide.

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