Pruning and trimming trees are beneficial activities as they can improve your garden’s appearance, create room for growth and keep your plant’s size in check. However, the task can be quite intimidating, especially for beginners trying to do it themselves without damaging the natural appearance of their trees.
Most times, the fear comes from a lack of information on how to prune and trim the trees at the right time safely. However, understanding the basics of tree pruning and trimming is good enough for most residential projects. Getting good results also requires lots of special tools and mastering several advanced techniques.
This beginner’s guide to tree trimming and pruning shares the most effective methods to maintain the health and natural beauty of small and large trees in your home. If you’re interested in professional tree trimming and pruning services in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, contact Urban Jacks Tree Service today!
Benefits Of Pruning Or Trimming Trees
Property owners usually trim and prune old and young trees for various reasons. The primary motivation is maintaining the tree’s health, enhancing safety, and ensuring the tree looks its best.
1. Boosts Tree Health
Trees are susceptible to pests and diseases that might kill them. Pruning and trimming the trees allows you to remove diseased, dying, and dead branches, creating space for future growth and prosperity.
Overgrown trees also create a canopy that hinders air and sunlight penetration to the ground, making water sprouts and suckers depend on the main tree for nutrients. That weakens the tree, slows its growth, and makes it susceptible to diseases, diminishing its chances of surviving the next season.
Opening up the canopy allows air and sunlight to reach every part of your tree, increasing foliage and minimizing the risk of diseases. Pruning also allows you to eliminate water sprouts, helping to establish one strong tree as the dominant leader.
2. Adds to Landscape Aesthetics
Regular tree pruning and trimming leave your home aesthetically pleasing as it keeps trees in their natural shape. However, homeowners should avoid trimming trees into shapes that wouldn’t occur naturally. That normally requires too much pruning that might damage the tree.
3. Improves Safety
Harsh weather like rain, storm, high winds, and snowfall can significantly risk dead and infected branches. Weak branches can fall and injure your family or damage your structures.
Trees might also cause poor visibility on your driveway and interfere with the nearby powerline if the branches grow too far.
4. Keeps Tree Size in Check
Some trees like Autumn Joy Sedum and Joe Pye-Weed can grow impractically tall and wide, resulting in several issues. Tree pruning and trimming keep the tree size in check and minimize the risk of falling over or getting into your neighbor’s compound.
Basic Tips For Pruning Trees
For best results, it’s best to get professional pruning services from a reputable company like Urban Jacks Tree Service in the historic Hot Springs Village. However, most homeowners can maintain their young trees and remove dead branches with a few basic skills.
Here are some basic tree pruning tips to guide you when doing it yourself.
- It’s best to prune or trim a tree when it’s most dormant, ideally, early spring or late winter before its buds start opening. You can prune pine trees at any time, but it’s best to wait until they are dormant.
- When pruning trees and shrubs in Hot Springs Village, AR, always cut close to where the branch starts on the tree’s main limb or trunk. The exception to that is when pruning hedges to a definitive shape.
- Always remove dead, insect-infested, or dying branches first before removing branches rubbing against each other.
- Remove branches going towards the tree’s center as they’ll ultimately start rubbing against each other.
- Use the three-cut trimming method to remove live branches over an inch in diameter to avoid damaging the bark. This method eliminates the branch’s weight before making the final cut close to the limb or trunk.
- Always be proactive when pruning and cut unnecessary branches before they grow too large to avoid scarring the tree.
Tips For Trimming Trees
The following strategies will guide you into pruning and trimming trees and shrubs like a pro. However, you might need the services of qualified arborists in Hot Springs Village for tree removal and disease treatment.
1. Thinning The Crown
Crown thinning involves selectively removing a tree’s inner branches throughout its crown. This effective trimming method allows light to penetrate its crown and allows air to effectively circulate through the canopy without changing the tree’s natural shape. All the dangerous deadwood is also removed in this process.
How to Thin the Tree’s Crown
When thinning the crown, remove all 5cm (2 inches ) thick branches. You should only remove thicker branches if they are dead or diseased.
- Cut the branch slightly to avert moisture from the cut surface near the parent wood.
- Ensure the plant hasn’t started a new growth when you’re pruning
- Avoid cutting the main trunk to prevent rot and diseases
- Never remove over one-fourth of the living crown in a single session. If you want to prune more, spread it across multiple seasons.
2. Raising The Crown
Raising the crown involves the removal of the tree’s lower branches to increase the distance between the ground and the canopy or crown. The process increases the tree’s vigor by sending the energy resources to other places.
The tree might have a weak stem if you remove too many branches during this essential landscape care process.
3. Reducing The Crown
Crown reduction is a great way to safeguard your structures from nearby trees falling on them in case of storm damage. That involves climbing to the end of the tree and removing the excess weight at the end. However, the crown reduction procedure should only be done if it’s really necessary, and you should only remove branches that have a third of the stem’s diameter.
How Much Does Tree Pruning and Trimming Cost in Hot Springs Village?
The historic Hot Springs Village is the largest gated community with affordable townhomes in North America with inviting golf courses. The area also hosts lots of trees in the Ouachita mountains. However, blind people and other residents might have trouble finding affordable tree trimming services to maintain the beauty of their landscape.
If you’re a DIY fan, your tree trimming cost will only revolve around the equipment cost. However, that might prove costly for beginners, and you might not do the job correctly.
Looking for tree services? Contact us for tree trimming and pruning services in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Urban Jacks Tree Service is a name you can trust for tree services in Hot Springs Village and the surrounding areas. We have licensed and experienced professionals who can help you with a different aspect of tree care. Call (501) 547-4018 and get a free quote today! We’ve got your back, whether you want to prune unhealthy branches or shape your tree.
