Pruning Techniques for Landscape Trees

If you have landscape trees in your property, it’s a must to stick to the maintenance type that they require. Pruning is a maintenance method that's normally done to ensure the trees’ safety and maintain their aesthetic appeal. According to experts, pruning needs to be done carefully since trees respond to each cut. If proper pruning techniques are not followed, the trees can be damaged and their lives shortened.

The right timing

Routine pruning, which includes removing weak and diseased limbs, can be done at any time of the year. Essentially, experts suggest that pruning must be done before spring starts since doing so can encourage the growth and wound closure of the tree. However, certain trees like maples and birches have a tendency to “bleed” if they are pruned before spring.

It is also not advisable to prune trees after springtime. Post-spring is a critical period because this is when trees have started to produce foliage and early shoot growth. Cutting a bigger portion of foliage can stress the trees and eventually lead to other defects.

Proper cuts

The ideal area to prune is just outside the branch collar. The branch collar is a sensitive area since it contains the parent branch tissue, thus damaging the former can hamper the tree’s growth. In cases when you need to remove a trunk collar from a dead limb, see to it that you only cut beyond the branch collar.