Tree pruning is mostly an ongoing process these days as the winter is the perfect season to give your trees extra care. For those who are taking care of a young plant, early pruning can be good practice for them.

Pruning during its dormancy months or winter season is also a good practice. Winter tree pruning especially after the coldest part of winter has passed can result in a vigorous burst of new growth when spring comes.

Before you prune your trees, you will have to follow these steps to make sure that the trees are properly managed.

Tree evaluation. Assessing the tree will include if it is still growing and healthy, the species and the place where the tree is located should be assessed as this will determine how the arborist will trim the tree.

Remove bad branches. Get rid of the three ‘Ds’ which will include damaged, dead and diseased branches. You should also look for branches that are weakly attached and that is rubbing from each other.

Reduce competing branches. Once you have assessed the tree and get rid of the unwanted branches, you will also need to remove or reduce competing branches. You will have to focus on multiple branches that are connecting to the trunk at the same place as you want the tree to create better branch spacing by removing one each year.

Strategically pruning your trees with the use of the right tools, you can help your trees to be healthier as they know that you are taking care of them well.

Do you know that there are some misguided beliefs when it comes to tree care that can just potentially waste your money? Here are some three care myths that you might have heard:

Topping is good for trees. Drastically cutting the tree branches which remove many of its leaves is unhealthy for a tree and may even become hazardous. When that happens, better contact an arborist to better assess the tree’s condition.

A better option to tree topping is tree pruning as the specialist will be able to just select the right branches to cut to keep it healthy, attractive and safe.

Painting the tree wound can heal the tree. Some people believed that painting a tree after being cutting its branches is good and that it helps the tree to heal faster. But this is not true since trees do not repair the damage but they create a barrier that seals itself from the unhealthy tissue. Painting or placing anything on the cut surface might even hinder the healing process of the tree and might even cause long-term damage.

Pruning branches should be close to the trunk. Cutting a branch too close to the trunk can lead to decay and disease. This can even lead to death especially for young trees. If you are pruning a young tree, make sure to cut a branch just at the base of the branch. When it comes to mature trees, contact a tree pruning service as the process of cutting branches is not an easy process.

It can be really tempting to just do it your own especially when you want to save on cost. But when it comes to hiring an arborist, should you really cut corners or just get a professional. In fact, you can take care of your own garden and do it on your own. But there are certain tasks that you may have to rely on an arborist.

Tree pruning

Only do a job when you think you can handle the task. Pruning is a never-ending requirement for trees and you may have to do regular maintenance. If you are a keen gardener and know how to carefully remove dead branches or branches rubbing together, then you can try it on your own.

However, some cases may require getting a specialist especially if the branches are at the top of the tree and may require a ladder or a chainsaw. For big jobs, do not attempt to do it on your own since the task can be hazardous.

Tree removal

Tree removal should always be seen as a last resort. Always get the help of an arborist for such task. They know well if you really need to remove the tree or not.

During emergency

After a storm or other extreme weather conditions, you may need to call a professional arborist to see if the tree needs pruning or if you need it to be removed.

Tree care

If you want to have a great tree in your backyard but don’t know which one you should grow, call an arborist. They have the right knowledge and experience on how to take care of plants. Since they will be in your backyard, you can also ask questions from them so that when he leaves, you know how you can care for your trees.

Trees are very vital in Australia and those in the business of tree care knows how important to maintain and love them. However, there may be some cases that a tree becomes dangerous and may need to be removed although you cannot actually cut down a tree just because you think it is hazardous, there are procedures first that you have to follow before a tree removal.

What you should do first

In order to determine if your tree shows more risks than benefits, consult the council regulations first and determine if they will allow you. In many cases, you will need to get a council approval before you can chop down any tree as most states and territories want to stay green.

Do also a bit of research since most councils make their decision based on the size of the tree, its location and species. Each council also has their own rules so check their website and see if you are following them.

In most cases, you may not need a permit if only the part that is posing threat is cut down but not the entire tree. But it is still better to make sure to consult a professional arborist as they can identify the tree species and do the measurement of the tree. They will also help you refer to the council regulations to make sure you are not breaking the law.

Getting a permit

Getting a permit is easy as you just need to download the file from the council website. Ask a certified arborist to help you in completing the paperwork and evidence showing that removal is the only option. Once you finally get their approval, then the removal will begin.

What is tree lopping? It actually depends on how you define it. The word “lopping” generally implies to pruning, cutting branches, make the trees smaller, and also tree removal.

For a trained arborist, lopping is not something they will mostly do. That is why when you ask them this question, they will ask how the word is being used before they even answer. Lopping is mostly disfiguring for some trees. It may pertain to the act of cutting the branches or stems of a tree between the branch unions. Pruning, on the other hand, is the cutting of branches back to a fork.

Lopping may cause severe anxiety and even decay a tree. If they survive this procedure, the tree may create an outer shell of new wood. That will make it unstable as the girth and weight increase.

When conducting tree lopping, they will primarily remove all of the leaves which is already bad because the food source is being removed. Removing the leaves will force the tree to use reserve stores. However, the stored food supply may be depleted if they rely on this too often.

What are acceptable forms of tree lopping?

Two specialized form of lopping known as Pollarding and hedging. Pollarding usually involves pruning off regrowth at regular intervals. Hedging, on the other hand, involves cutting stems in between branch unions that could be every 1-2 years or every six months. The frequent trimming will mostly help the new shoots from growing beyond your control and will also help the tree from their own weight.

After deciding to finally cut that dead tree on your property, you may still be thinking if you really need to remove the stump too. Is stump removal necessary? Here are some factors to consider:

Stumps are not appealing. Once the tree has been cut, you will be left with an ugly looking stump and if you are meticulous about what is in your yard, you know that a stump does not belong in your landscaping.

Stumps can be dangerous. If you have small kids, having a stump in your yard can be hazardous as they may trip on them when they are playing. Tree stumps can also damage your lawn mower if you hit it accidentally.

Stumps can attract insects. Since stumps are decaying trees and will rot away over time, they can also greatly attract insects such as beetles, termites and ants. These insects can live in the decaying wood and in time may even create a pest infestation.

Stumps can create new sprouts. Stumps can also create new sprouts or small trees around the stump which can be unsightly to look at. These small trees if left untreated can become leeches as they take off nutrients from other plants located near them.

Stumps take up space. The stump and roots can occupy a lot of space in your yard especially if your yard is not that big. Just imagine the additional space once you remove it. You can use that space for whatever purpose you really need it.