Professional Tree Pruning

Anyone can prune a tree wrong get a certified arborist not just for peace of mind but also for the health and structure of your tree(s). This is an investment that is well worth the money. There are many types of pruning and many reasons to prune. The first part of pruning is for us to meet you (the tree owner) and see what your objectives and reasons are for pruning. Pruning can be great for the health and structure of the tree but if done improperly can be the complete opposite of that. A big part of the process is to educate you on proper ways and techniques to achieve your goals. A big part is also to let you know if we can meet your goals and give realistic timelines on what you can expect. We like to have open and clear communication from the beginning so you know what to expect. Many things can affect the technique and systems we use for example. The time of year – the type of tree will have a big influence on what time of year also certain diseases being in the area can also change the time of year as opening wounds of a diseased branch may allow for disease to spread to other trees or other parts of the same tree (especially fungal diseases). The amount of pruning. The age and health of the tree will have a big influence on this. 25% of the foliage (leaves removed) is the maximum to be removed in 1 year by ANSI 300 standards but a few things with this is if the tree is in poor health or very mature may need to do much less. It is hard to estimate what 25% is so language we like to use is the amount of cuts the size of cuts, the location in the crown and the type of cuts. For example 10-14 2-3” reduction cuts all in the last exterior, the bottom 2 branches will be removed with. Removal cuts.There should be very good reasoning anytime a branch over 4” is to be removed and in the case we will be able to explain why this is the best plan of action. Also knowing the species is very useful information because some trees are more tolerant of aggressive pruning and better at compartmentalizing (sealing off from disease and decay). To reiterate tree health plays a huge role in this.

• The size of the cuts

• The location of the cut

• The form of the tree. Excurrent vs decurrent

• The amount of pruning

The 1st rule is the 3 d’s=dead, dying, and diseased branches. Rubbing and crossing branches are also a concern we address. Many time trees are neglected for years and then people want to correct years of neglect instantly. We will discuss time frame on how much we can and when it will be ill advised to attempt to do everything at once depending on age health and structural defects. Cabling and bracing is a service we offer that can give supplemental support to branches leaders or whole trees with the least impact on tree health. This service is discussed below in the category cables and braces.