Pruning & Trimming
We Care Tree Service provides tree pruning & tree trimming services. Pruning your trees on a regular basis keeps them healthy and beautiful. There are many different tree-trimming methods for different species of trees and for how you want your trees to grow.
Crown Cleaning
Crown cleaning a tree's canopy consists of pruning dead & diseased limbs, excess branches, and crossing or rubbing limbs out of the crown of a tree. Each tree may require more or less work depending on many factors, such as the proximity of the tree to resources, tree location, and tree species.
Prune Deadwood & Diseased Limbs
One of the most common and natural techniques of tree pruning is pruning the deadwood out of a tree's canopy. Pruning out the dead and diseased limbs from a tree is good for the health of the tree. Diseased limbs are cut so they cannot further affect the trees live branch structure, and deadwood is removed for safety reasons mostly.
Crown Thinning
Thinning out the interior crossing or rubbing limbs and sucker growth is a common and acceptable practice. Thinning can help reduce wind resistance in a tree, thus reducing the chances of a windstorm blowing over a tree. It can also increase sunlight for your grass to grow. Tree trimmers must be careful not to cut too much and form what is called a Lion Tail, where a limb has no foliage except on the very ends.
Crown Raising
Elevating the lower limbs on a tree is necessary at times when limbs are encroaching on a structure, hanging low over a sidewalk or road, hanging low over the grass, etc. Elevating a tree increases the clearance from the ground to the lowest remaining foliage by trimming up the lower branches. When elevating lower limbs on a tree, it is important to take a step back and see the entire tree so the tree is balanced after the prune.
Clearing Limbs Away from a Structure
Are the squirrels keeping you up at night, or are the branches rubbing against your house? Clearing tree limbs away from your house or structure is a very common task. The branches should be cut properly, back to the nearest lateral limb just outside the branch collar. Generally, clearing limbs away from a structure is completed by certain footage effective to clear the structure but at the same time not harming the tree and keeping its structural integrity.
Crown Reduce
Crown reduction is a method of reducing a tree's height and width by a certain percentage or footage. Topping is not a recommended pruning method unless there is a safety factor, such as a large dead or dying tree. Crown reduction is usually performed on a tree that is prone to storm damage, leaning toward a structure, or a tree that has outgrown the area it was planted in. Drop crotch pruning is an acceptable method that results in a crown reduction by cutting the longest terminal branch on a limb and leaving the shorter ones on that same branch.
Vista Pruning
Selectively pruning limbs on a tree to provide better visibility of a local scenery. This could be to achieve a more favorable view of the mountains or, for instance better visibility of traffic when entering or exiting your driveway. There are many situations for vista pruning. Only select limbs should be taken, and it's best to consult a professional to determine if any cuts will harm the tree.
Shaping
Shaping a tree is a method usually performed by pole clips or shears and involves trimming the entire canopy all the way around the circumference to form a nice round shape. This is often completed on smaller-sized trees and shrubs. Keep in mind, when shaping a tree to gain a certain look for your landscape, it will require you to prune the tree more often, usually every couple of years if not more.
Nature's Cut
A nature cut involves taking the top or canopy out of the tree for safety concerns. Generally a large dead or dying tree that is not in proximity to a structure or in a highly occupied area is a candidate for a Nature's Cut. A 20-25 spar is left standing for living things in nature to use. The spar that is left standing should be left at a height that is less than the total distance to a structure or occupied area to maintain safety in case it falls. Generally, a tree that is a candidate for a nature cut is usually in a woods line or out of the way.
When Pruning Trees, These Are the Only Cuts That Should Be Made
Eliminating branches that intersect and rub against each other.
Trimming dead or weak branches that may be hazardous or may lead to decay.
Trimming diseased or insect-infested limbs.
Trimming limbs damaged by storm conditions.
Trimming limbs that interfere with wires or buildings.
Training young trees for correct future growth.
Eliminating excessive tip weight.
* No branch should be removed without a reason.
