The certified arborists at Mountain West Arbor Care are in beautiful Ogden, Utah this week, providing homeowners with pruning and preventative tree care services to help prepare for the colder months ahead. There are a variety of reasons why fall pruning is important. The first and foremost most is keeping people safe. A dead tree branch has the potential of falling at any time, endangering nearby people, cars, buildings and power lines. Having dangerous limbs removed is the best course of action. However, depending on the size of a tree and the location of its branches, pruning can be a very dangerous job.
Tree Growth & Structure
Pruning helps influence how a tree will grow. With proper pruning a tree can be encouraged to grow a certain way that is more ideal when it comes to it’s structural integrity. Maintaining a tree’s structure will also help to reduce the risk of broken limbs and falling branches. Properly pruned trees will not have compromised branches or improper weight distribution that could lead to disaster later on down the road. Structural pruning also improves the general look of a tree. If aesthetics are important to you preventative tree care pruning will help a tree to grow in a desired fashion.
Preventative Tree Care Pruning
Other than emergency branch removal, preventative tree care pruning should always be done in the late fall or winter. During the dormant season, a tree is less susceptible to harm that may result from pruning. Like any other creature, trees are susceptible to stress, and removing their branches does cause damage. However, when a tree is dormant, less sap is lost and there is a reduced risk of insects and fungus damaging the tree. Keep in mind that depending on your tree, there are certain species that require a more precise time and approach when it comes to preventative tree care pruning.
When Not to Prune
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Tree care pruning should be avoided during the late spring and early summer. The reason for this is because everything is starting to bloom. If you prune a tree during this time, it won’t have much of a chance to heal before the growing season. The burst of energy that plants get in the spring help to heal the wounds made from pruning during the dormant months. Additionally, it’s important not to prune when a tree has it’s leaves. Photosynthesis occurs in the leaves providing a tree with the energy it needs to live. Reducing its leaves, reduceses a tree’s energy source.
Why It’s Important To Hire A Certified Arborist
Improper pruning can cause more harm than good and can potentially kill your tree. Every year, more trees are permanently damaged or killed from improper pruning than from insects and other pests. Individual trees have their own requirements when it comes to which cuts need to be where. A certified arborist can identify weak or diseased limbs and know how they should be trimmed.
Pruning and removal is also more dangerous than you might think. Pruning a tree yourself can result in serious injuries and even fatalities resulting from falls, contact with power lines and cutting equipment. A certified arborist is a trained professional who understands how to recognize hazardous tree branches and knows the safest method to remove them.
If you have a tree that’s in need of pruning contact Mountain West Arbor Care at 1.800.767.8733 today. Our certified arborists will provide you with a no cost, no obligation quote for all of our pruning and preventative tree care services.
