Don't Wait Until Spring Blooms to Prune
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Don't Wait Until Spring Blooms to Prune
CHAMPAIGN, IL -As spring approaches, our trees and landscape seem to come to life after the slumber of winter. Homeowners begin to turn their ambitions to improving their outdoor property. Pruning, the most common of all tree maintenance procedures, might be at the top of your list. Whether your trees are newly planted and young, or towering and mature, they provide a homeowner with a surprising amount of value to the property; a value that increases with the condition of the tree from roots to branches. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) offers a few tips to help you protect your investment with proper pruning techniques.
Why prune? Pruning is often necessary for the removal of dead, diseased or insect-infested branches, and to improve the overall tree structure, enhance vigor, or maintain safety. Every branch should be removed with a specific reason in mind, as the pruning process could affect the health and growth of the tree.
When should pruning take place? When it comes to removing safety hazards, such as dead, diseased, or weak limbs, the sooner you to attend to the issue, the better. These limbs can cause damage to structures and injury to people.
Trees experience the best tolerance if pruned just before the new spring flush. For this reason, pruning should be done before this time. After the new spring growth has begun, trees have a harder time compensating for the stress caused by pruning. Trees expend an enormous amount of energy to produce foliage and early shoot growth.
Pruning should also be avoided during active disease transmission periods. Some diseases, such as oak wilt, can be spread when pruning wounds allow spores access into the tree.
What are proper pruning techniques? Every cut made to a tree's branches will affect the growth and health of that tree. No cut should be made without a purpose. ISA suggests several specific types of pruning techniques that may be necessary to maintain the health, safety, and value of your trees.
- Cleaning removes the dead, dying, diseased, detached, and broken branches.
- Thinning is the selective removal of branches to increase light penetration and air movement through the crown. Thinning should reduce the weight on heavy limbs while still retaining the tree's natural shape.
- Raising removes the lower branches from a tree in order to provide clearance for buildings, vehicles, pedestrians, and vistas.
- Reduction reduces the height or spread of a tree by pruning back the leaders and branch terminals to the lateral branches that are large enough to assume the terminal roles (at least one-third the diameter of the cut stem).
Deciding which type of pruning is appropriate can sometimes be difficult. An ISA Certified Arborist is trained on all methods of pruning, and can advise you on the suitable technique for your tree.
How much should be pruned? The amount of live tissue that should be removed depends on a variety of factors, including: size, species, age, and the actual pruning objective. Younger trees can tolerate more pruning than mature trees. It is important to remember that a tree can recover more easily from several small pruning wounds than from one large wound.
Mature trees should not require much pruning over their lifetime. Removing even a single, large-diameter limb can create a wound that might not be able to close. The older a tree is the less ability they have to seal wounds, and defend against decay and insect infestation. Pruning a mature tree should be limited to the removal of dead and hazardous limbs.
Should newly planted trees be pruned? Newly planted trees should be pruned only for corrective reasons. Remove torn or broken branches, and save other pruning measures for the second or third year. The belief that trees should be pruned when planted to compensate for root loss is misguided. Trees need their leaves to stimulate new root growth.
When should an arborist be hired? Pruning large trees can be dangerous. It usually involves working above the ground with special equipment, or using a chain saw. To maintain safety, it is best to hire an arborist, who can also advise you on the type of pruning necessary to maintain the health and appearance of your tree.
For more information on proper pruning methods, contact an ISA Certified Arborist, or visit www.treesaregood.org
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), headquartered in Champaign, IL, is a nonprofit organization supporting tree care research and education around the world. To promote the importance of arboriculture, ISA manages the consumer education web site, www.treesaregood.org. Also, as a part of ISA's dedication to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees, it offers the only internationally-recognized certification program in the industry. For more information on ISA and Certified Arborists, visit www.isa-arbor.com.