Tree trimming is a common landscaping practice that helps improve the appearance of your landscape. It involves removing unwanted or unhealthy branches to help promote healthy growth. This allows light to reach the ground and surrounding plants, reduces risk of damage from storms or other causes, and provides a more appealing shape to your trees, hedges and shrubs.
How Often Do You Trim Trees and Shrubs?
While most people think that a tree should be trimmed regularly, the frequency varies based on aesthetic preferences and the specific species of plant. Some may prefer to trim their plants more frequently for a cleaner and more manicured look, while others may choose to maintain a more natural-looking garden.
The most common reason for pruning is to improve structure and safety by removing diseased, damaged or dead branches. Additionally, thinning cuts can stimulate the growth of new shoots and enhance air circulation in a canopy, as well as allow more light to penetrate to interior leaves or the ground below.
Other reasons for trimming can include improving a vista, correcting structural defects or providing clearance from structures or traffic. Pruning also removes suckers or water sprouts from a rootstock, and can eliminate rubbing branches that can harbor pests or diseases. In addition, regular pruning of fruit trees can help increase harvests by promoting proper canopy structure and allowing the growth of fruit-bearing buds.
When a branch is cut, a callus will form where the cutting occurred. When done correctly, this will protect the bark from further damage and decay. If a callus does not appear, the limb may be more susceptible to splitting or breaking during future storms. When trimming a branch, make your first cut 12-18 inches away from the point where the branch meets its supporting structure. The second cut should be made closer to the stub, and the third close to the trunk or main limb, removing any stubs that remain.
A good rule of thumb is to remove no more than one-fourth of a tree’s total leaf-bearing capacity. This will ensure that the remaining branches are healthy and well-balanced. It is also important to note that a lopped-off stub may not heal properly and can become a site for insect infestation or fungi.
The most common mistakes when pruning are topping, improperly removing crowns, and flush cuts. Topping is a practice that drastically reduces a tree’s overall size by cutting branches and even the trunk back to stubs. This can weaken a tree, disrupt its natural shape and lead to additional problems down the road.
Flush cuts are cuts that cut too close to the branch collar, which is the wide area of tissue at the base of a branch where it joins the trunk. Cutting too closely to the branch collar can cause a delayed wound closure, resulting in poor healing. It’s also important to avoid cutting into the ring of bark that surrounds the graft union, as this can weaken the tree and create wounds that are more susceptible to infection and decay.
from Sunshine Coast Tree Lopping Caloundra https://ift.tt/b1I64s2
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