Beautiful, healthy trees

While most people realize that tree removal and stump grinding are activities that are best left to the professionals, many people mistakenly assume that tree trimming and pruning are something that you can easily do yourself at home. While it is technically something you can do, it is not necessarily easy; trimming and pruning trees is much more than just snipping a few branches! For proper trimming and pruning, you must know the procedures and safety precautions. Many tree-trimming and pruning techniques are effective for keeping your trees healthy and well-maintained. Here at Westland Tree Removal, we use the right knowledge, equipment, and safety precautions to prune your trees efficiently, maintain their appearance and health, and eliminate common issues. You may be wondering what reasons there are to prune a tree, aside from just maintaining a nice look. Well, let us tell you.

There are several reasons why one would want to prune or trim a tree. One being the aesthetics of it. Pruning and trimming trees help maintain the tree's shape and appearance. However, you shouldn't try to impose an unnatural look on the trees, as that can make them unhealthy and damaged. This leads us to the next reason you would want to trim or prune a tree: to keep it healthy. You can sometimes save an infected tree by pruning away the affected branches. If you thin the crown of the tree, it will help improve airflow and can really make a big difference. Trimming branches that are crossing or rubbing together, then you should trim them so they don't fall and cause damage, which leads to the final reason you would want to trim or prune a tree: safety. Unhealthy limbs and branches can fall at any given time, and that can cause a great number of safety issues. Sometimes the tree limbs can grow too close to utility lines. In this case, don't try to handle it yourself; instead, call a professional or the utility company directly.

There are a few good tips to remember when you are trimming a tree. You should almost always trim or prune a tree when it's dormant. This way, you're not cutting off too much airflow or damaging the tree's health. Always be mindful of the size and thickness of the branch you plan to trim. If it is more than 5 centimeters in diameter, you might not want to do it because it would be too much work for you, and it could also damage the tree's health. Remember to trim only the branches with weak, V-shaped angles, and keep the ones with U-shaped angles. And remember not to trim the branch too close to the base of the tree. Before making the cut, look for the branch collar, the part of the stem tissue at the base of the branch. Remember to always cut outside the branch bark ridge and be sure to angle your cut down and away from the stem.

Pruning a tree has just as many intricacies to remember. Remember to prune a branch when it's really young to avoid causing excessive damage to the tree's health. If you need to crown a tree, remember to keep the lateral branches spaced as evenly as possible to promote airflow and healthy growth without unnecessary branch crossings. If they do cross, then make sure to prune those branches away. Remember to never remove more than one-fourth of a living crown at one time. If you need to remove that much, then you have to spread the work out over a couple of years. Yes, sometimes you have to be really patient when pruning trees. If you wish to raise the crown, then remember to maintain live branches on at least two-thirds of the tree's height. If you remove too many from the bottom half, you risk the stem being too weak.

As you can likely tell from above, trimming and pruning are tasks you are likely physically able to do. Still, the intricacy of the tasks can be overwhelming or confusing, which typically makes it a job for the pros who can ensure your tree is healthy and beautiful at the end of the day.