Proper Pruning, Specialty Pruning (Espalier & Pollarding), and Lightning Protection

Property owners have varying reasons for why they plant trees. These reasons can range from improving the real estate value of their area to simply reaping the benefits of a tree’s impact on its environment.

As beautiful and mighty as trees appear, they do need to be tended to and maintenance to ensure they are healthy throughout the year. One of the most effective ways to keep a tree healthy is to prune it.

There are several standards for pruning trees effectively, and it’s important that you realize them before beginning. Continue reading below to learn more about the proper methods for pruning trees on your property.

What is Pruning?

Pruning is the process of trimming the extraneous parts of a tree. Ideally, pruning rids the tree of diseased, dead, and problematic parts of a tree. Pruning can also help a tree achieve a perfect shape.

Pruning is typically performed with a saw-like tool and can be done throughout the year depending on the type of tree species you have. Pruning is not an optional task. It must be done periodically to help a tree achieve maximum growth and health.

Why is Pruning Important?

To understand why pruning is important, think about your hair. If you were to allow your hair to grow without cutting it, it would sprout wild and look unattractive. Even if you started to grow your hair out, it would still need to be regularly trimmed to sever dead hair cells and achieve an attractive shape.

In the same way, pruning is also important for trees. If trees aren’t pruned, they could grow uncontrollably. This could result in branches extended over your property. Once winds and storms come, these branches could fall and pose a significant safety risk to your property and all of the lives nearby. For this reason, you should prune your trees to keep them growing on your desired plot.

When is the Best Time for Pruning?

The best time to prune your trees depends on its species. Generally, pruning will be more effective during the winter months. From November to March, most trees in the United States are dormant.

This means that you can prune your trees without having to worry about the risks of pest and fungal infections. Pruning does cause vectors and wounds to form on trees, which can serve as entryways for pests.

Wintertime, especially in the North Texas region, can eliminate the growth of these pests to provide you an opportunity to shape your trees before the springtime.

What are Some Proper Pruning Techniques?

Pruning is a highly-technical job. The progress of this job could be counterproductive if you eagerly prune your tree without any direction. With that said, here are some techniques for proper pruning you can take advantage of:

• Only focus on pruning non-beneficial parts of the tree.
• Cut branches back to lateral stems to avoid creating large wounds.
• Remove dead, dying, or damaged parts of the tree.
• Avoid topping or simply cutting branches between internodes and not where they meet.

Pruning is a delicate skill. Going overboard can cause your trees to become susceptible to pests, disease, and deterioration due to harsh environmental factors. It could also disrupt the growth of the tree.

What are Special Pruning Techniques?

There are various other ways to prune a tree. Primarily, you should be concerned with espalier and pollarding pruning methods. Here are the descriptions of these pruning techniques below:

• Espalier: This involves the pruning of a shrubby causing it to grow flat on a wall. This type of pruning is ideal for apple and other fruit trees.
• Pollarding: This technique entails the removal of the upper branches of the tree, causing it to sprout a dense head of branches and foliage.

How to Protect Trees from Lightning?

Although not directly related to pruning, protecting your trees from lightning is essential. Lightning strikes on trees can be fatal, although not immediately unless the strike rips through the trunk. However, this can vary on a case-by-case basis.

By installing a protective system using conductive cables into the ground, you can prevent your trees from taking the brunt of a lightning strike.

Give Us a Call Today!

As you can see, pruning is a highly-essential tree management task. It must be carried out by trusted professionals if you want to make sure that your trees are growing properly.

To learn more about how we can help you, give us a call at tel:(817) 592-6846 to speak to a member of our team today!

To learn more about Proper Pruning, Specialty Pruning, and Lightning Protection, call our Argyle and Southlake based teams at tel:(817) 592-6846 or send us a message.

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Healthy trees, healthy lives.