Regularly pruning your tree brings out the aesthetic potential of your landscape. Aside from the visual appeal, pruning also offers many benefits to the tree and property owners. Regular pruning allows the branches to bear more weight from their leaves. It also lessens the risk of falling debris and branches, which reduces the chance of hurting the people around or damaging other properties. Additionally, it gives ample clearance for hydro and power lines and other utility connections.
Given the importance of pruning your trees, you might wonder how often you should prune your trees. Here are some maintenance tips to guide you:
1. When is the right time to prune your trees?
The best time to prune your trees is during the middle of the winter season. This season is considered as the dormant period when trees do not get much sunlight. Mark your calendars for the middle of winter to know when to call professional tree pruning services to manage your landscaping requirement.
2. How frequent should you prune your trees?
The frequency of pruning a tree depends on its maturity. In most cases, younger trees need more frequent pruning. You can hire professionals to conduct a pruning session every two to three years. Mature trees, on the other hand, require less maintenance, so you can schedule their pruning every three to five years.
Aside from the age of the trees, the type of tree is also a factor to consider. For example, if you expect to harvest from your fruit trees, you should schedule more frequent pruning sessions. On the other hand, big trees, such as evergreens and fir trees, don’t need pruning even after several years.
3. What are the best practices in pruning your trees?
In general, tree pruning is not only for maintenance purposes. It is also considered as a form of art as it brings out the tree’s aesthetic characteristics. Pruning a tree entails different steps to accomplish, and each step serves a different purpose, depending on what you intend to achieve.
The most common principle of pruning is that if you want to encourage new growth, you should prune branches that are small enough to cut with hand tools. As a rule of thumb, you can cut a branch a quarter above a bud. Cut the branch that is facing away from the trunk to encourage the new limb to grow in that direction.
In addition, you should cut the branches at a 45-degree angle to prevent water damage and disease. When it comes to cutting thicker branches, the task is more challenging to accomplish since every branch requires three cuts. You must also add a protective coating after the branch is cut to decrease the risk of infection.
Conclusion
To ensure that your trees live a long life, pruning them regularly. Hire a professional tree pruning company that uses the appropriate methods in pruning the trees to bring out their best shape and quality.
If you are looking for tree pruning services in Gosford, get in touch with King Kong Tree Services today, and see how we can help!