People often assume that the benefits of tree trimming are mostly aesthetic. Your tree is starting to look overgrown and messy, so it’s time to get it trimmed. Or, maybe, there’s a limb that is causing issues such as growing over a sidewalk or into a power line, so you need to get that resolved.
While it can certainly achieve both of these things (aesthetics and improved functionality), there are also significant health advantages of pruning trees.
In this article, we’ll explain some of those health benefits so that you can better understand the value of keeping up with this important service.
Before we dive into the health benefits of pruning your trees, we want to talk about the difference between the terms “trimming” and “pruning.”
While we know that these terms are often used interchangeably by homeowners (and even pros), they aren’t really the same thing.
Tree trimming is more about shaping hedges and shrubs and it is more of an aesthetic service. In that case, you are tightening and shaping their form.
However, we’re talking about larger trees and shrubs when we’re talking about pruning. Tree pruning involves making strategic cuts to remove infected, dead, and broken branches in a skillful way.
This definitely can still have an aesthetic impact but it’s more than just “cleaning things up,” as trimming would be focused on.
There are a lot of benefits that can accompany proper pruning. Let’s look specifically at the health benefits of pruning and why you ought to consider it to preserve your Louisville property’s trees.
Proper pruning can enhance tree health in a few key ways.
1. Prevent the Spread of Disease or Decay
2. Improve the Tree Structure
3. Encourage Healthier Growth
Let’s look at each.
If your tree is infected or decaying, it’s important to stop those problems from spreading. Making selective pruning cuts can help remove the issue before it spreads to other parts of your tree.
This is an important step in disease control.
Diseased or dying branches need to be carefully pruned to not only stop the spread but also prevent those limbs from failing later. After all, a struggling limb will be at risk of falling and causing harm or damage.
Another one of the health benefits of pruning is overall improved tree structure. You want your trees to grow healthy and strong. But when you have weak limbs, it reduces the overall strength of your tree.
Removing those weak limbs is better for the tree as a whole and also reduces the chance of damage during storms and severe weather conditions.
It’s important to start pruning your trees when they are young so that you can make structural differences that help them to grow strong and healthy. Even one weak limb can have an impact on your tree’s total health.
There are various structural ways of pruning, depending on your goals for your tree and your property.
For instance, crown cleaning involves removing hazardous deadwood while reduction pruning reduces the end-weight of the tree to prevent storm-related damage. Most mature trees require this type of pruning but a Certified Arborist can help determine what is best for your Louisville property.
At Limbwalker, we do have a service called Four-Year Crown Clean & Clearance where we recommend coming every four years to get the dead wood out of trees, while also gaining your aesthetic clearances over your yard, driveway, and home.
When trees are periodically (and properly) pruned, they grow healthier. That can mean more profuse blooms, greener leaves, and overall improved vigor.
Keeping up with regular pruning will also help improve the longevity of your tree. That means that you’ll be able to enjoy your tree’s beauty for many years to come.
This is because when dead, dying, or diseased limbs are strategically removed, your tree can stop wasting energy on trying to heal them. Once those limbs are gone, your tree will put that energy into the rest of the tree…and that’s when you’ll start to see healthier growth.
This is all part of what’s called “CODIT” (in industry “speak”). CODIT stands for the Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees and it means that trees respond to threats (cuts) by attempting to grow internally and externally to compartmentalize an injury or decay.
When we talk to homeowners about keeping up with regular pruning, we tell them that it’s a protection of their investment in their landscape and the overall value of their home.
There’s no doubt that one of the most significant advantages of pruning trees is that it helps to maintain your property value.
Often, regular pruning can help prevent more serious problems. You could avoid losing your tree to a spreading disease or even a storm when it is properly pruned.
When a tree care professional comes out to prune a tree, they’re also evaluating it for any potential problems that might be occurring and coming up with a game plan. Trees in the suburban landscape are not only subject to potential disease problems but also pests, environmental stressors, and more. Periodically having your trees evaluated is important.
After all, if a large tree were to decline, it could begin to pose a serious risk to your property. There are times when a tree is in really bad shape and we have to weigh whether tree pruning or tree removal is the best course of action.
But if you were to start pruning your tree early on, you can generally prevent a lot of problems from becoming serious. This is a valuable way that regular pruning helps to maintain your investment in your landscape.
There is no question that there are many benefits of pruning. In this article, we specifically looked at a tree’s health but pruning also has aesthetic and functional benefits, too.
The key, of course, is that it’s done right. We’ve explained before that proper pruning is both an art and a science. It takes skill and expertise to know exactly which branches need to be removed.
It’s also important to know that improper pruning can do more harm than good. Pruning mistakes can actually lead to the further decline of your tree. This is why it’s so important to work with the right professional.
At Limbwalker, we are here to help. When you make the wise choice to work with a trained professional, you are making a valuable investment in the health of your property’s trees.
If you’d like to learn more about tree services for your Louisville home, get in touch, get your quote, and get back to enjoying your yard.
