A bad day starts with a tree branch laying on your cracked car windshield. Whether it was your tree or your neighbor’s, it was well past do of a pruning treatment. It is important for your safety and others to keep your trees properly pruned. In fact, this is the first and most important reason for tree pruning. A dead branch can fall from a tree at any time.

Healthy Trees

Not only does pruning help prevent property damage and injury to those nearby, but it also helps the health of your tree. Pruning can influence the way that the tree grows; into a balance of limbs and branches that is more ideal for the structural integrity of the tree. It helps avoid improper weight distribution that can lead to the tree toppling over later in life. A tree that has been growing in your yard for a couple of decades must surely have cultivated some sentimental feelings. Perhaps a tire swing hangs from one of the branches or a tree house has become the local clubhouse for your kids. All great reasons to keep your family trees healthy and strong.

Why Have your Trees Pruned?

The first and most important reason for tree pruning is keeping the people around your trees safe but there are a variety of other reasons why a tree may need pruning. These include removing diseased or storm damaged branches, to thin the crown and better air circulation, to reduce the height of a tree, to remove obstructing lower branches and to shape a tree for design purposes.

When is the Best Time for Tree Pruning?

The best time to prune is late fall to late winter, although dead branches can and should be removed at any time. Pruning during this time minimizes sap loss and stress to the tree. It also minimizes the risk of fungus infection or insect infestation. Both fungi and insects are likely to be in dormancy at the same time as the tree. With most foliage gone (except for semi-deciduous trees), pruning a tree when the leaves are off will give you a better idea of how your pruning will affect the shape of the tree. Certain species of trees require more precise timing; if in doubt, call Milam’s Tree Service.

How Much to Prune?

A good rule of thumb when deciding how much of a tree to prune is usually as little as possible. When a tree is pruned, it becomes more vulnerable to insects or disease. At Milam’s Tree Service, we try to never prune more than 25% of the crown as this is where most of the tree’s leaves are located and where it gets most of its energy. We ensure that living branches consist of 75% of the height of the tree and always prune as little as we can get away with. Pruning during this time of year, with spring just around the corner and the new growth that comes with it, allows the tree time to heal with the new growth taking on its natural course.

Tree Pruning Dangers

Especially when dealing with larger trees, pruning can be a big job to take on by yourself. Serious injuries have been the result of someone taking on a big pruning job solo. Anything from falling from a tall ladder to getting a chainsaw lodged in your neck – yes that really happened to a poor guy in Pennsylvania. So please take these jobs seriously. The best way to take care of your tree pruning is to call in an expert. Milam’s Tree Service has all the skills and proper tools to prune your trees just in time for spring. Contact us to make an appointment today to have your yard looking beautiful this garden season.