Tree Pruning

Pruning trees is an essential aspect of tree care and offers many benefits for both the tree and the surrounding landscape. First and foremost, pruning can improve the health and longevity of the tree by removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches. This promotes new growth and reduces the risk of pests and diseases that can harm the tree. Additionally, pruning can improve the overall structure and appearance of the tree, enhancing its natural beauty and increasing its value to the property.

Pruning can also promote safety by removing branches that may pose a risk to people or property. Overhanging or damaged branches can fall and cause injury or damage during severe weather conditions, such as high winds or heavy snow. By removing these branches, you can reduce the risk of accidents and property damage. It can promote sunlight and airflow, which is beneficial for both the tree and the surrounding plants. Proper pruning can improve the growth and development of neighboring plants by allowing light to show through the canopy in to understory areas that may otherwise be shaded. 

Lastly, when done correctly, a tree can be made to look aesthetically pleasing in addition to being healthy and long-lived. While aesthetics is undoubtedly an essential consideration in pruning, it should always come secondary to the health of the tree. Pruning for aesthetics can be subjective and may involve removing branches that are perfectly healthy, while neglecting the ones that need to be removed for the tree's well-being.  

Overall, pruning is an essential aspect of tree care that offers many benefits and can help maintain a healthy, safe, and attractive landscape. Every tree is different, that's why we recommend Contacting Us to have our arborist do a walkthrough of your property and give recommendations for your trees!

Here are a few examples of reasons you should not prune:

• Pruning without an objective: Pruning is almost surgical in nature in that it involves the careful removal of living tissue from an organism. You wouldn't get surgery unless it was necessary and trees are no different!

• Incorrect time of year: Pruning during the hot summer months and just before winter dormancy are typically detrimental to the tree's ability to recover from pruning wounds and does not allow time for tender new growth that results from the canopy lost to pruning to harden off before winter.

• Tree is too young: This is especially true with trees that have been recently transplanted. While most trees will typically require more pruning when they are younger, they must be allowed time to establish themselves before the pruning process begins.  

• Tree is too old: The older trees get, the less they should be pruned for reasons other than to manage dead, damaged or dangerous tree-parts.

• When a tree is flowering, fruiting or beginning to leaf out: Trees expend an enormous amount of metabolic energy in the form of carbohydrate consumption during blooming, fruiting, and leafing processes. Especially in the case of trees that bloom before they leaf out, the tree may not yet have the means to efficiently replenish these energy reserves until its leaves return.

• Pruning a tree that is already sick or stressed:  Pruning is an exercise in energy management. The tree must be able to efficiently manage the stress of pruning by having enough energy to compartmentalize pruning wounds and protect itself from pests, illness and decay without unnecessarily drawing energy from other parts of the tree. In all cases of why you shouldn't prune your tree, it is usually because there is an energy deficiency created or exacerbated by the tree's reaction to pruning.

• Pruning with an unreasonable expectation:  Pruning isn’t always the right solution for every tree concern. Some problems are better resolved through other methods such as transplanting, growth regulation, or complete removal. When a tree is too hazardous, severely damaged, diseased, or decayed, has outgrown its space, no longer fits the client’s goals, or harbors a pest infestation that threatens nearby trees, Tree Removal may be the most responsible option. Your arborist at Crown Down will give guidance as to what action to take based on observations during your site visit. 

The short answer is almost always, "You probably shouldn't." You may have seen several trees in your own neighborhood that have been cut back using a style of pruning called a "heading-cut," otherwise known as "topping" like in the image above. This method of pruning is seldom ever the most appropriate way to prune trees of any kind and should be considered a last resort in special cases like storm damage or temporary remediation. It is generally only ever appropriate to "top" a tree in cases where the benefits to budget and safety are too great to outweigh the costs of the effects that heading cuts have long-term on your trees. These effects may include:

• Stress or plant death from over-pruning

• Unnatural growth habits resulting from large changes in the tree's structure.

• Rampant pests, decay and illness due to pruning wounds that are too large or numerous. 

Crown Down strongly believes that topping is a practice that should be avoided and that even in the rare instances that it is indicated, it should be treated as a temporary solution to a problem that can usually be avoided entirely by proper and routine pruning practices and/or Planting the right tree for the space. In the long run, you will almost always save more money and head-ache by simply having the tree completely removed or replaced. 

It is important to note that this guideline is not applicable to very young trees, trees intended for fruit production, and boutique pruning styles such as pollarding, coppicing or espalier pruning. All of these instances require a different type of pruning regimen that typically calls for topping but should be done with the same care and educated deliberateness as any other pruning style. As always, your arborist at Crown Down will guide you on your specific tree's needs during your Free Estimate!

For most trees, the best time to prune is during winter dormancy. With pests less active, the risk of infestation or infection is reduced, and without leaves the tree’s structure is easier to see. This allows for cleaner cuts that guide healthy growth.

There are situations, however, where pruning during the growing season is appropriate:
• Hazard response: Unsafe or broken branches should be removed immediately, regardless of season.
• Training young trees: Light summer pruning helps guide proper branch structure and prevents long-term defects.
• Flowering and fruit production: Many spring-blooming ornamentals should be pruned right after they flower, while some fruit trees benefit from summer pruning to balance vigor and improve fruit quality.
• Growth control: Selective summer pruning can slow overly vigorous growth by reducing leaf area.
• Disease timing: Certain species must avoid peak infection periods. For example, oaks should only be pruned in winter to prevent oak wilt, while crabapples and pears with fire blight are best pruned in dry summer conditions.
• Deadwood removal: Removing dead branches is generally safe at any time of year, though some species or trees that are currently under stress may have exceptions when cutting back to live tissue.

Every tree and site condition is unique, so the right timing depends on the species, objectives, and environmental factors. Our arborist can provide a tailored assessment to determine the best approach for your trees.

Never with spikes!

Pruning trees without the use of spikes is crucial for maintaining their health and longevity. Spikes can cause significant damage to the tree's bark and vascular system, creating open wounds that invite insects and disease. This can lead to the tree's decline or even death in severe cases. They can also create unsightly scars on the tree, detracting from its natural beauty. Using spikes for pruning is not only harmful to the tree, but it is also an outdated and unnecessary practice.

Thankfully, there are alternative means of accessing the upper canopy of trees for pruning. Using bucket trucks or a mobile lifts allows for safe and efficient access to the tree's upper branches without causing harm to the tree. Crown Down's specialty is to use a rope and harness allowing for precise and controlled pruning, often placing the climber closer to the cut than if they were in a bucket or on the ground and minimizing incidental damage to the tree. As a professional tree service, we prioritize the health and well-being of our clients' trees and use only the most effective and safe methods for pruning. By choosing a tree service that prunes without spikes like Crown Down, you can ensure your trees receive the care they need to thrive for years to come.