Tree Pruning

Benefits of Tree Pruning by Professionals

Professional pruning offers numerous benefits that go beyond aesthetics. Here’s how expert pruning services can enrich your trees and landscape:

Reducing Risk to People, Pets, and Property

Our first priority in pruning services is the detection and removal of diseased, broken, or dead tree branches and limbs that present a danger to surrounding people and structures, especially during severe weather. In addition to mitigating structural issues, pruning of this type can prevent disease-causing fungi on one part of the tree from penetrating and infecting other areas of your tree. When dangerous or diseased limbs are removed, it sometimes requires the careful pruning or removal of live branches by a skilled arborist in order to preserve the tree’s structural integrity and appearance.

Achieving Clearance Requirements

It is important to prune low-hanging tree branches that border walking paths, driveways, and surrounding buildings so that the tree does not interfere with the safe passage of pedestrians and cars. On urban properties, those concerns further extend to ensure the tree limbs and foliage on the homeowner’s property do not impede public sidewalks and roadways, or the visibility of traffic lights and street signs.

Avoiding and Treating Disease

Many tree diseases are promoted by excess moisture. So circumstances that can cause chronic dampness in the tree’s foliage, stems, or root system — including inadequate sunlight and air flow in the tree’s crown — can be major contributors to its diseased state. For that reason, pruning the affected tree (and/or any nearby trees that may be crowding it) can open up its leaf canopy to improve sunlight penetration and air flow. Those improved conditions can help the tree avoid the occurrence of moisture-related pathogens, or improve the success of the arborist’s preventive treatments for those diseases.

Correcting Problems in Young Trees

The careful pruning of structural defects in young trees, known as developmental tree pruning, helps young trees grow up with a strong, attractive, and healthy branch architecture. Thoughtful pruning of trees when they are young can reduce the chance of serious problems when they mature — and avoid the need for costly corrective measures like cabling and bracing.

Restoration Pruning

Over time, often as a result of storm damage or structural failure, the crown shape and branch structure of a mature tree can deteriorate. That’s when we advocate “restoration pruning” by a skilled arborist to bring the tree back to its characteristic form and stimulate new, healthy growth. To reap the rewards, restoration pruning requires advanced techniques applied over multiple pruning cycles. But the renewed splendor and vigor of a beloved landscape tree can be well worth the effort!

Improving the View

The strategic pruning, thinning, or removal of branches in a tree’s canopy can be performed to give property owners an improved view. This creates visual access to lakes, valleys, or other picturesque views, while maintaining your privacy where desired.

What’s the Best Time of Year for Pruning?

Given the variety of tree species, and the different purposes for pruning, our professional arborists perform pruning services throughout the year. When the purpose of the pruning is for the general health of the tree, we look to do pruning on deciduous trees (i.e., trees that lose their leaves) when they are dormant and most of their nutrients are held in the roots and wood. For most of our customer areas, that’s usually November through March — after the trees’ leaves have fallen, and before the new leaves have formed. We typically prune evergreen trees late in their winter dormant season, just before new growth begins. When the purpose of the pruning is to find and remove dead and damaged limbs on trees, winter can be an ideal season. On the leafless deciduous trees, it’s easier for the arborist to spot defects — fungus, cracks, malformation of branches — and then have clear access to perform the pruning.

First, Do No Harm!

Yes, your trees can be harmed, often irreparably, by neglecting good pruning practices. But pruning that is performed improperly can be just as damaging… to the tree’s structural integrity, to its appearance, and to its overall health. Pruning a tree at the wrong time of the year, or over-pruning, can cause serious injury to the tree’s tissues. Needlessly removing a still-vigorous branch and foliage can decrease the tree‘s ability to make food. Improper cuts can create wounds in the tree that invite pests and diseases. Protect your investments: Entrust the pruning and trimming of your trees to the qualified arborists at SavATree!

Professional tree pruning and trimming services can help you protect these valuable landscape assets by achieving strong, beautiful, sustainably healthy trees. SavATree’s arborists are ready to help — whether you have questions about our pruning services, specific concerns about one or more of your trees, or just want to learn more about SavATree tree care options. 

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