4 Tree Care Tips Every Homeonwer Must Know

Trees provide many benefits for our landscape. They not only enhance the landscape but also provide needed oxygen. Taking good care of trees means you can enjoy their beauty longer. Healthy trees are also strong and less likely to fall or cause damage to your yard.

While tree care sounds like an easy task, there are a few tips that can help any homeowner ensure their trees are healthy and attractive.

1: Inspect Trees in Autumn

Once the weather turns colder, the trees drop their leaves. Bare tree limbs are much easier to inspect and find damage. A tree with no leaves shows every flaw, and a dead branch is a sign of disease. You can use this to determine the tree's need and put a pruning and trimming plan into action.

2: Pruning And Trimming Are Not The Same

Tree pruning and trimming are not the same tasks. If you want to keep trees healthy, you must understand the difference. If your goal is to remove unnecessary branches, you prune a tree. If your goal is to promote healthy growth, you trim the tree.

Different types of tools are used for each task. When pruning, you used hand shears or topping shears. For trimming, the tools include shears, saws, and trimmers to remove old growth.

The time of year for each task is also different. You prune trees once a year in winter during the dormant stage so they're ready for spring growth. You trim trees a couple of times a year to remove old or diseased growth so that the tree sends nutrients to the healthy limbs.

3: Don't Prune Lower Branches

Leaving healthy lower branches on trees is beneficial. This is especially true for mature trees and the evergreen variety. When you remove large lower limbs, it increases the risk of decay. It also stresses healthy trees by reducing the energy-producing leaves the tree needs to remain healthy. You can remove lower branches when it's absolutely necessary. However, do so gradually to reduce stress on the tree.

4: Pruning And Trimming Are Essential For Tree Health

Caring for trees not only enhances growth and beauty but also has other benefits. A tree is not likely to die if it's not pruned or trimmed, but it can lead to many other issues.

When you skip pruning and trimming, the tree's long-term health is affected. Without proper inspection and removal of old branches, it can cause structural defects that lead to unstable trees. Without proper pruning, large limbs may break and fall without warning.

Tree care is an important task, and if it's not done correctly can cause stress on your trees. If you are unsure how to go about the task, call your local tree trimming service to assist and answer questions. For more information on tree trimming and pruning, contact a professional near you.


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