Pruning is a fundamental aspect of tree care that goes beyond visual appeal, as this practice impacts the health, safety and overall well-being of your trees. Even though you should always hire a professional arborist to perform this task, you need to understand the basics of tree pruning to make informed decisions about when to hire an expert.

Identify Trees That Contain Dead, Damaged or Diseased Branches

If any of your trees have branches that fall into this category, you must call an arborist for pruning straight away. Damaged or dead branches can be removed before they fall and hurt people and damage property. Cutting off diseased or damaged portions of trees can prevent the spread of sickness to surrounding trees.

Branches That Cross or Rub Together

If any of your trees have branches that cross over one another or rub together, these need to be pruned back. When these branches rub together or cross, new wounds can develop, and this can invite diseases and pests. Tree wounds provide an excellent environment for pests and diseases to spread and thrive.

V-Shaped Crotches

Branches that have V-shaped crotches are vulnerable to splitting and falling on people and nearby structures. This is especially true when storms and winds exert pressure.

Trees That Encroach on Structures

If the branches on your trees are too close to your home, shed or garage, you must have them pruned. Failure to prune them can cause safety hazards and property damage because they can crash into these structures when storms and high winds come.

The Best Time of Year for Pruning

The best time to prune your trees is in late winter. Trees are dormant during this period, which will enable pruning wounds to heal quicker. Disease and pests are also less likely to spread since winter does not provide favorable conditions for them to thrive. Additionally, tree care services are less expensive at this time of year because it’s when fewer people call on an arborist for outdoor landscaping and tree care services.

The lack of foliage in winter makes certain tree care tasks easier to perform. Arborists can more easily see the structure of trees, and branches will be simpler to remove because they will be lighter. Arborists will not need to spend as much time on tree care tasks, so the cost of their service will decrease significantly.

The ground is also hardened due to the cold temperatures. This is ideal for arborists to work without disturbing and uprooting surrounding trees and plants.

Hire an Arborist to Inspect Your Trees

Schedule an annual tree inspection. During this visit, the arborist will thoroughly inspect your trees and determine whether interventions such as pruning are needed.

Pruning promotes the longevity of your trees. If it has been some time since your trees have had some TLC, contact our team at Altar Tree Service for trimming and pruning in Salem, OR.