I live on a large property in the Fraser Valley and love and appreciate nature in all its forms. A very large part of that appreciation must involve taking responsibility for the proper care of it. Trees are living things that add beauty and function to our environment. They breath in carbon dioxide and breath out oxygen. Trees need and deserve to be treated with conscious sensitivity to their health and well-being. Tree pruning and trimming, is something you should be doing on an ongoing basis throughout the life of your tree.
After selecting the desired tree and carefully planting it, early pruning is the most important thing you can do for a young tree. Proper pruning will save you money and give you a healthy and beautiful tree. You will enjoy easy maintenance in the long term, if you care for your tree properly in the first few years. Proper pruning will affect not only the strength of the tree, but also its longevity. Pruning is done to remove dead, damaged and diseased branches. It will help to prevent future damage by preventing insect and decay organisms from entering the tree.
Thinning a Dense Tree
Thinning a dense tree will increase the air and sunlight it receives at the crown of the tree and therefore decrease the chances of the tree becoming diseased. It is beneficial to remove crossing branches that can rub against each other and cause damage. It is important to remove weak and narrow crotches (where branches form an angle, the junction of two parts) because they can split apart and tear the wood as the tree grows older.
Where there are two branches growing near the top of the tree and both grow straight up, called co-dominant leaders, remove one so that there is only one dominant branch.
Correct pruning will create and maintain a strong, healthy tree structure and prevent safety hazards during stormy weather. If you prune your trees in the winter, you may avoid future broken branches that can fall onto your home, walkways, driveway and parked vehicles.
Different Species
Different species of trees all have their own unique growth habits. If their growth habits are changed and disturbed by erratic growth and overly energetic growth, it can change the growth habit and result in a misshaped tree.
It is common to remove the overgrown branches in order to maintain a trees natural form. Pruning can also either stimulate or restrict growth, depending on which is most desirable.
Prune in the Winter
It is best to prune your trees in the winter, during the dormant season. The result is that pruning will invigorate the tree by providing extra energy reserves to support new growth in the spring. The sooner dead, diseased or damaged branches are removed, the better. It is common to wait until the coldest part of winter is over, either late winter or early spring when a tree begins to open its buds.
Don’t be concerned if species, such as birch, maple, dogwood and walnut “bleed” when the sap starts to flow. This is not harmful to the tree, as it will stop flowing once the trees leafs sprout. It is best to avoid pruning when weather is extremely cold or hot and dry.
Always have a plan for how to proceed before you start to prune your trees in the winter. Determine what is to be pruned and why. Decide on the equipment you will use; most jobs can be accomplished with hand pruners, a pruning saw and loppers.
When pruning is done properly it can help trees. When done incorrectly, it will harm them. The act of pruning will ‘wound’ a tree. Flush cuts and leaving a stub are two examples of improper pruning.