Mistakes homeowners make when trimming their trees
If you are a homeowner and you have trees in your yard, it’s important to maintain those trees, to keep them healthy, growing strong, and avoiding potential problems. Some trees near your home may eventually grow large enough over your roof, or driveway. This can cause a major danger if those branches break and fall. So, keeping up with regular maintenance can help avoid such damage, but only if it’s done correctly.
Tree trimming and tree pruning are necessary for the appearance, growth, and health of the trees. These tree services remove dead branches from your trees, as well as removing the risk of falling the branches on things or people on your property. But, if you are not trimming your tree properly, you might be causing more harm than good. While it’s true that you can do tree trimming on your own, there are many important things to consider before getting started. Often homeowners are unaware that there is a proper technique to trim trees, so they try to trim on their own, but then they regret it because they made several big mistakes. If you don’t have any tree experience or extensive tree knowledge, it is a good idea to do some research on how to correctly trim your trees, or hire a professional arborist. Here are some of the most common mistakes that homeowners make when trimming their trees.
7 Mistakes Homeowners Make When Trimming Their Trees
1. Trimming at the Wrong Time
The majority of homeowners who are doing their tree trimming on their own simply wait for their trees to be visibly overgrown and then they go to work. Often homeowners finally take out the shears and start trimming branches due to their lack of curb appeal. But, when it comes to trimming, the time of year matters. Because trimming your trees at the wrong time can have negative consequences. Winter is typically an ideal time for tree trimming because trees are dormant throughout the winter. Trimming in winter will promote spring growth. Late winter is the best time to trim conifers and non-blooming trees. If you have blooming trees, trim them in the spring just after they bloom. If you trim your trees during the warm months when certain insects are active, the sap left behind after trimming may attract these insects, and spreading disease to your trees. Fall is often not the good time for tree trimming because of the more fungi present in the cool, damp air. In addition to a higher presence of fungi, trees also heal slower during this period. That’s why it creates a high susceptibility to disease. The one exception to these rules is dead branches, which you can remove at any time of year.
2. Over Trimming Your Trees
No more than 25% of tree branches should be removed at a time. With each branch cut, the tree is being exposed to infection and too excessive sunlight and it can cut away a tree’s supply of nutrients that it needs to survive. Over-pruning can harm the tree, sometimes beyond repair. That’s why striking the right balance is very important for maintaining the health of your tree. Always be cautious while trimming the branches, because you want to get rid of the dead branches, not the ones that are going to keep your tree alive.
While you may need to cut a certain number of branches to protect your home under the tree, it’s always better to trim the least number of branches needed and then wait until next year to trim the rest. This gives the lopped branches time to get strong and healthy again before you trim more branches from the tree. Additionally, tree topping is never the right tree trimming method because it makes trees weak, unattractive, and difficult to recover. It’s also good practice to hire a professional arborist because they are qualified and have the ability to differentiate between what should be cut and what should be left alone.
3. Cutting the Branch Collar
The branch collar is the part of the branch that is closest to its base. This part of the branch contains a large bundle of vascular tissue, and if you cut right through it, the tree will lose a lot of sap, and the wound caused by it weakens your tree and take a long time to heal. It can also lead to infection throughout the tree. The reason this mistake occurs frequently is that homeowners try to cut branches flush with the trunk. Doing so will damage the branch collar, and causing complications. The best way to trim a tree branch is to leave behind at least a 1-inch stub, cutting just after the branch collar. This will allow the tree to get the necessary nutrients, sunlight, and water.
4. Using Unsharpened Shears
If you use less costly or well-aged scissors, the blades are likely to be dull. Trimming a tree with dull blades causes harsh wounds that take a longer time for your tree to heal. These serrated wounds will provide a pathway for rot and disease to enter. If you have to work hard and make many “chops” to cut through a branch, you may accidentally damage the branch collar. If you are doing your own tree trimming, then get a good pair of truly sharp shears, and have them sharpened at least once a year to keep them working well.
5. Cutting the Wrong Branches
The proper trimming process takes a lot more than just removing random branches to change the shape of the tree. If you do not pay attention to which branches you prune, you will weaken the tree, and its shape will become less attractive over time. Also, cutting away too many branches can weaken the base after some time. So, always start by removing any dead or decaying branches before moving onto any other limbs. Then remove the branches that form a v-shaped angle. From this point, it is necessary to assess the tree’s condition and decide whether or not to continue cutting. If needed, remove smaller and thinner branches first, before chopping off larger ones.
6. Using Dull and Unsanitized Tools
You might think that my tree is outdoors and a part of nature, so why would I need sanitized tools to take care of it? But it is true that cutting a tree with dirty tools can result in infectious fungi and bacteria. So, trimming your tree with dirty shears is one of the most damaging mistakes you can make on your tree.
Just like humans and animals, trees are also susceptible to a number of different infectious diseases. These diseases easily spread from tree to tree during the trimming process if you don’t sanitize your shears properly. You can also wipe your shears down by rubbing alcohol between trees and, let them completely dry before you begin trimming. The hygiene of your equipment used for trimming can impact your tree’s health, and also increases bacteria and infectious fungi.
Similarly, if you cut a diseased tree with a tool in the past, and you cut another tree with the same tool, then it can spread diseases because these diseases can spread from one tree to another. Also, cutting a tree with dull tools can result in wounds and that will be difficult to heal. Making multiple uneven cuts can cause damages to important parts of the tree and interrupt their nutrient supply. Another key component of good sanitation is proper cleanup. But, when we discuss “cleanup” and sanitization, we are not just talking about equipment. Once you have finished your tree trimming, remove any fallen branches, leaves, and other debris, as these can be grounds for insects and fungi to shelter around the base of your tree.
7. Ignoring Safety Measures
It’s not that homeowners are careless, but usually untrained people have no idea about how to do the job correctly. Because trimming trees is not as easy as cutting and dropping. Tree trimming is a challenging and dangerous job that requires a significant amount of time, study, and practice to do it well. It is the job of tree surgeons who know how to care for the tree, protect the property, and the lives of those who live there. More importantly, arborists have the skill in handling tools and equipment. Understanding the existence of trees requires time, research, and practice. Professional arborists can determine when it is the proper time to cut, trim or remove a tree. Tree surgeons have acquired experience and a license to do the tree work, where they must maintain strict safety precautions at all times. That is why, we suggest letting tree surgeons handle this dangerous job.
Conclusion:
If you are thinking about doing some tree trimming on your own, it is important to take the time to do proper research and keep an eye out for these common mistakes. When trimming your trees, it is important to trim them properly and strategically, not just to protect your tree, but to prevent potential property damage. When you hire a professional arborist, you can assure that your trimming project will be done correctly, and with your tree’s specific needs in mind. So, we strongly advise hiring a professional arborist for your tree trimming or tree pruning projects, because without the help of professionals it’s quite hard to do. We are not just saying that; we have learned from watching people make mistakes, and we want to save you from suffering the same hardship. We are a digital marketing Jacksonville, and this post is written by our writing team to help you know the importance of taking care of trees.
