Many people associate tree care primarily with cutting down overly large trees or removing dead limbs. Yet, a vital component of maintaining trees is regular pruning. Neglected and overgrown trees can present considerable dangers, not only to your property but also to the safety of nearby individuals and animals.
Why Overgrown Trees Are a Danger to You and Your Neighbors
Property Damage From Overhanging Branches
On calm, sunny summer days, overhanging branches might not appear to pose much risk, leading to a deceptive sense of safety. Often, the peril becomes evident only in adverse conditions. When winds strengthen and storms arrive, a substantial branch can inflict significant damage on property. An overgrown tree with numerous weighty branches can harm the siding, roof, and windows of your home during harsh weather. If the tree is particularly large, it might also threaten your neighbor’s property.
Accidental Collisions With Low-Hanging Branches
Low-hanging branches can turn into hazardous obstructions, particularly in adverse weather conditions. On your property, they might unexpectedly become a problem. When these branches stretch over pedestrian pathways or into a neighbor’s yard, the likelihood of accidental collisions escalates even more.
Strong Winds Can Cause Your Tree to Fall
Strong winds can topple an overgrown tree, resulting in considerable damage and potential injury. Large trees are especially at risk because their dense canopies act like sails, capturing the wind and making them more likely to fall during strong gusts. Conversely, trees with well-spaced branches and trimmed canopies tend to be more resilient to high winds. The air can flow through a thinner canopy with less resistance, reducing the likelihood of the tree being uprooted.
Dead Branches Can Fall from a Dense Canopy
Strong winds can topple an overgrown tree, resulting in considerable damage and potential injury. Large trees are especially at risk because their dense canopies act like sails, capturing the wind and making them more likely to fall during strong gusts. Conversely, trees with well-spaced branches and trimmed canopies tend to be more resilient to high winds. The air can flow through a thinner canopy with less resistance, reducing the likelihood of the tree being uprooted.
Hiding Places for Unwanted Pests and Intruders
Large trees with dense canopies not only add beauty to your landscape but can also unfortunately serve as hiding spots for animals and humans alike. Pests such as rats, opossums, and snakes may find sanctuary among the branches of an overgrown tree. If these branches reach towards your home, there’s a risk these creatures could find their way inside.
Additionally, overgrown trees can provide cover for would-be burglars. The thick foliage can obscure visibility, allowing intruders to approach and possibly enter your home without being noticed.
Benefits of Healthy and Well-Maintained Trees
Healthy, well-maintained trees do more than just ensure safety for your property; they also enhance its aesthetic appeal. Proper landscaping, including well-trimmed trees, can boost your property’s value by 1 to 10 percent. This not only makes your home more pleasant to live in but also more attractive to potential buyers should you decide to sell.
10 Questions to Ask Before You Start
1. Assessing Your Tree’s Current Condition
Does your tree currently appear different than usual? Are your trees overgrown? While personal preferences vary and you might like how they look or enjoy the privacy they offer, overgrown trees typically need trimming to maintain their health.
Reasons Why Overgrown Trees Require Trimming:
Insect Pests and Diseases: Thick foliage in trees creates an environment that supports pests and diseases by preventing sunlight and air from reaching the inner branches and leaves.
Factors Leading to Thick Foliage:
- Excessive branches, including those that cross over or are redundant.
- Vertical growth of suckering branches.
- Deadwood, which includes twigs and branches that have died but are still attached to the tree.
- Vines like ivy that climb into the tree and obscure the leaves.
Failing to trim or clean the tree’s crown can cause the trees to become unstable and unbalanced, increasing their risk of falling over in storms or losing large branches due to breakage.
Choosing a Tree Trimming Service:
Before hiring a tree trimming service, ensure they can shape the tree as you desire without causing undue stress to the tree or excessively reducing the crown.
Trees Growing Near a House:
If branches from a tree are reaching towards or touching your house, it’s advisable to trim them back to prevent potential damage.
2. Defining Your Desired Tree Appearance
What do you envision for your trees? Before you trim your overgrown trees, it’s essential to determine their ideal look. Think about whether you want your trees to:
- Increase sunlight entering your home.
- Provide shade over specific areas around your house.
- Modify the amount of shade over your garden.
- Clear more of your scenic view.
- Maintain necessary clearance around utility lines.
- Improve visibility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
Identifying Pruning Needs:
Your specific goals will guide the type and degree of pruning needed. A certified arborist can offer expert advice on the best practices for pruning your trees to achieve these objectives.
Consulting a Certified Arborist:
A certified arborist will assess your trees and determine if your pruning goals are achievable. They follow a professional code of ethics and will avoid any practices that could harm or excessively prune your trees.
Choosing a Service Provider:
While it might be tempting to opt for a cheaper tree trimming service or landscaper, these options may lack guarantees of quality and reliability. Always prioritize the expertise and dependability of the service provider you choose.
3. Is the Pruning or Shaping You Want Realistic for Your Tree?
You may desire a different shape for your trees—perhaps a smaller size, a narrower form, or varying levels of privacy screening. People have been pruning trees since at least the 4th century BCE, but it’s important to recognize that excessive pruning can ultimately harm trees by distorting their natural shape.
Considerations Before Pruning:
- Energy Reserves: Regular structural pruning and trimming of the crown can drain a tree’s energy reserves.
- Increased Risk: Frequent pruning creates more opportunities for insect pests and diseases to invade the tree through the cuts.
- Cost: Attempting to maintain a shape that goes against a tree’s natural growth pattern can become costly due to the need for continuous, intensive pruning.
If your landscape would benefit more from a narrow, upright tree but currently hosts a wide, spreading one, you might consider removing the existing tree and replacing it with a more suitable species. This approach can be more sustainable and cost-effective in the long run.
4. Is This the Right Time of Year for the Pruning You Want?
Tree pruning and trimming can generally be carried out throughout the year, yet the optimal times for pruning vary based on the type of tree:
- Spring-flowering Trees: To avoid cutting off bloom potential, prune these trees immediately after they finish flowering.
- Fruiting Trees: For robust fruit production, it’s best to prune these trees during their dormant season.
- Oak Trees: To prevent the spread of oak wilt, a serious tree disease, oak trees should only be pruned during their winter dormancy.
- Sap-producing Hardwoods (such as Maples): Prune these when the sap is not flowing to promote quicker healing of pruning cuts.
Moreover, it’s important to consider the local wildlife. Avoid pruning during the bird nesting season to protect fledglings. If trees pose immediate hazards and need emergency care, only then should pruning be considered during this sensitive time. This mindful approach helps ensure the survival and health of songbird populations.
5. Will It Require Special Equipment or Training to Properly Trim Your Tree?
In both dense urban areas and expansive suburbs, trees can often be found in challenging locations, making pruning or removal tasks require meticulous preparation and specialized equipment. Here are some critical considerations:
- Access and Debris Removal: It’s important to clarify how the tree service plans to access your trees and manage the removal of branches and other debris. Ensuring they have a clear and safe approach is crucial for the protection of your property and their workers.
- Experience and Training: Verify that the tree pruning team has adequate experience and training specific to the species of your trees and the particular pruning techniques needed, such as crown reduction or crown cleaning. It’s essential to recognize that unlike a temporary bad haircut, improper pruning can lead to permanent damage and adversely affect your tree’s health and growth.
When choosing a tree service, consider these factors to ensure that your trees are cared for properly and continue to thrive in their urban or suburban settings.
6. If a Climber Will Be in the Tree, Will They Wear Climbing Spikes? If Yes, Run Away!
When caring for living trees, it’s important to avoid certain harmful practices. One such practice is the use of climbing spikes, which should never be employed on a living tree. The spikes puncture the tree’s bark, creating openings that can invite insects and disease, compromising the tree’s health.
Red Flag:
Be wary of any tree care professional who insists that climbing spikes are harmless. This is a clear indication of a lack of understanding of proper tree care techniques and professional standards. Certified arborists and trained tree pruners know to avoid using spikes on living trees.
Example of Poor Practice:
A common but detrimental practice is “tree topping,” where a significant portion of a tree’s canopy is removed. This not only disfigures the tree but can also lead to permanent damage, affecting the tree’s structure and health. Proper tree care should always prioritize the well-being and natural growth patterns of the tree.
7. Will Your Tree Be Topped or Hat Racked? If Yes, Keep Running!
It’s crucial to protect your trees from harmful pruning practices such as topping or hat racking. These methods involve indiscriminately cutting branches back to stubs or severing the terminal leader (the main upward-growing branch) or main trunk to reduce the tree’s height, without regard for its natural structure. Instead, employing the technique of tree crown reduction can preserve the tree’s integrity while safely managing its size and shape.
Consequences of Topping:
- Destroys the Tree’s Natural Form: This practice severely disrupts the aesthetic and structural integrity of the tree.
- Potentially Fatal: Topping can stress the tree to the point of death.
- Promotes Weak Growth: The technique triggers a surge of weak, fast growth that is often structurally unsound, necessitating further, costly corrective pruning.
- Hiring Advice:
When choosing a tree service:
- Request a Detailed Plan: Ask for a written description of the methods they will use. This document should detail every aspect of the job, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- Avoid Destructive Terms: Steer clear of any service that uses terms like “topping” or “heading” in their descriptions. These indicate harmful practices.
- Look for Proper Techniques: Ensure they mention acceptable practices like “crown reduction,” and clarify how they intend to reduce the crown without harming the overall health and structure of the tree.
8. How Much of Your Tree’s Canopy Will Be Removed?
Trees, with their extensive lifespans, develop their crown size and spread gradually over many years. To manage the size or density of an overgrown tree, it’s crucial to approach the task incrementally rather than in one extensive effort.
Guidelines for Canopy Reduction:
Limit Reduction: Aim to remove only 15-25% of a tree’s crown at any one time. This percentage should be adjusted based on the tree’s species, age, and overall health to avoid undue stress.
Approach for Overgrown Trees:
- Structural Pruning: This involves removing major branches to improve the tree’s overall structure.
- Crown Reduction: Focus on reducing overgrown lateral branches. This helps manage the spread of the tree without compromising its health.
- Phased Work: Carry out these pruning activities in stages over time. This method reduces the stress on the tree and minimizes potential damage.
Energy Considerations:
- Impact on Energy Production: Pruning decreases the volume of leaves, which are crucial for the tree’s energy production through photosynthesis. A gradual reduction is vital to maintain the tree’s vitality.
- Timing: Prune either during the tree’s dormancy or after the spring growth has concluded. This timing helps conserve the tree’s energy reserves, which are crucial for recovery and growth.
Philosophical Approach:
Gradual Correction: Just as overgrown trees took years to reach their current state, a careful, gradual approach to corrective pruning is essential. This philosophy ensures the health and longevity of the tree by respecting its natural development pace.
Conclusion
Regular tree trimming is crucial for maintaining the safety, health, and aesthetic appeal of your trees. Well-maintained trees aren’t just a safety asset for your property—they also contribute positively to the overall environment for you and your neighbors. Moreover, when combined with effective landscaping, properly trimmed trees can significantly enhance your property’s value, potentially increasing it by one to ten percent. This investment in tree care ensures that your trees remain beautiful and vibrant while also serving as a practical enhancement to your property’s market appeal.
