4 Common Tree Pruning Mistakes Homeowners Make
There’s no doubt that when you hire a tree service, you can be assured that your trees in your will be pruned the right way. When pruning is incorrectly done, your tree can be stressed inadvertently which can lead to tree damage and can also cause the tree to fall.
Here are five of the most common mistakes when homeowners do the pruning of their trees themselves.
Purposeless Pruning
When you are pruning, you are actually hurting your trees. This makes it important to prune your trees only when you have a purpose in mind. Pruning can be done for many reasons. Some prune their trees to get rid of dead branches. This will allow new growth of new branches and stubs. If the dying branches are big enough, they can fall off and can harm properties and unlucky passersby.
Pruning is also done when there is obvious infestation. When done earlier, it will prevent the infestation from spreading to other parts of the tree and even other trees nearby. You can also prune your trees to give it a more beautiful appearance.
If you are pruning without one of these goals, you are just hurting your trees with no reason at all.
Pruning Using Dull Tools
Using dull tools means that you are giving more stress to the tree that you are pruning. Cutting time will be extended which means that the tree will have to undergo stress for a longer time. The cuts may also be more uneven than when you use a sharp tool. You should always make sure that you sharpen your tools before you begin pruning your trees.
Heavy Pruning at the Wrong Season
Summer may not be the best time to do heavy pruning. It is because this is the time when drought is most likely to happen. If you prune your tree heavily during this period, the tree may have a harder time to recover as there is less water. Heavy pruning is also discouraged during the growth period of a tree which usually happens during spring to early summer. If you do so, the tree can starve because of the removal of so many leaves.
Topping a Tree
Trees near electric lines and those that are planted very close to homes and buildings are usually cut off at the top. This is an unhealthy practice as you are giving so much stress to a tree. The tree can fall off. To avoid this practice, you always make it a point to study beforehand where you should plant a tree.
