For anyone who is serious about their backyard trees or just any tree that belongs to their property, tree removal aka pruning is a must. Unless you’re planning to recreate the Amazon rainforest on your property, you will require pruning at regular intervals. After all, most homeowners want a backyard space they can truly enjoy. Just jump into five secrets to proper pruning.
Pruning is essential to keep your tree healthy and clean as well. However, tree removal is not about just cutting the dead branches or trimming them with a pruning shear or just any sharp objects that people use randomly. The tree removal process has its primary purpose of improving the way your tree grows and most importantly, proper tree removal techniques can also increase the lifespan of your tree. After all, not all trees will thrive in every location. Some trees are better options for your yard.
It is, therefore, most vital to understand the basic fundamentals of mechanics involved in the tree removal process. Here are the 5 secrets to proper pruning.
1. Always Inspect Your Tree Closely
Before proceeding to prune or remove tree branches, make sure that you inspect the tree properly first. After all, pruning will involve cutting. Anything that involves cutting trees shouldn’t be taken lightly or casually considering what they provide us with, so you should always be cautious when proceeding to remove trees aka pruning. Remember to work your way down (no pun intended). This can prove more effective in terms of proper pruning for example.
2. Apply the 1/3 and 1/4 Tree Removal Rules
Generally, there are no hard and fast rules about pruning that can be termed as “compulsory.” No one is going to come and arrest you even if you fail to use this rule. It’s more like a convenient and efficient method to gain the most benefits from the tree removal process. The 1/3 and 1/4 rule is more like a set of Do’s and dont’s, such as:
- For deciduous trees, it is best if you don’t exceed pruning more than 1/3 of the total height of the tree.
- Never cut more than 1/4 of the tree crown.
- Use the 10 o’clock pruning angle. This means looking for a narrow V-shaped tree branch. This area is most suitable for pruning.
- The diameter of the side branch should be less than the diameter of the trunk (1/3 smaller, to be precise).
3. Identify the Main Trunk
Usually, trees have a single and most importantly the main trunk that dictates the proper growth of a tree. All the other side trunks and branches that result from it are generally weak and defective.
It is important to identify which trunk follows the natural path of tree growth to prevent cutting the wrong branch. A professional arborist is your best option to ask if you have difficulties identifying it.
4. Don’t Worry About Dressing the Cut Wound
Usually, people are too skeptical when it comes to pruning. The primary reason is that they feel that it leaves a big cut wound on the tree. However, this is not true, yes, it does leave a cut mark, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.
That is precisely why the proper cutting technique is required – to leave a minimal cut wound. Also, you can dress the wounds for your self-convenience, but that doesn’t really improve the healing process by any significant amount.
5. Use Sharp Tools
Proper tools are required in any line of work. You don’t just carry a pruning shear and start pruning. There are so many kinds of pruning tools that are helpful in different areas; you need to identify what kind of pruning you’re dealing with and decide which shear suits you best.
For example, branch cutters are best suited if you want to remove any branch at a reasonable height. A simple branch cutter can also be used for cutting thin branches. But when it comes to thick branches, your cutter is going to be more than useless. In this case, you will need a proper sawing machine aka a chainsaw. At this point, you may want to consider using a professional tree removal service, since the handling of such heavy equipment is dangerous.
There are numerous cheap tree removal services that you can use for dealing with the major tree removal process. When the tree removal process goes beyond just some minor pruning, it is best recommended to hire an arborist instead of taking unnecessary risks. Hope you have enjoyed these 5 secrets to proper pruning!
