In the United States, lawns cover approximately 63,000 square miles of the country – roughly the size of the state of Texas. And one of the most beautiful decorations for a lawn has always been the tree.
Healthy shade trees and flowering trees are known to add beauty and value to America’s lawns. But caring for these giant plants can be a bit difficult for a novice. Knowing how to prune a tree properly can take your backyard or curb appeal up a notch, and helps to keep your acreage healthy.
Pruning is the simplest way to keep your trees vibrant while also keeping their growths controlled.
It’s a lot like trimming split ends on your hair – sloughing off what’s unnecessary means a more beautiful and lively tree!
Why You Should Prune
Trees can become unruly, which could jeopardize the health of the plants or grass below. Additionally, thunderstorms or other extreme weather conditions could impede the growth of new branches by damaging old ones.
It’s necessary to remove sick or damaged branches to give your trees a chance for fresh growth. Winter and autumn pruning and tree trimming are fantastic times to prepare the way for spring! If you don’t know how to do it yourself, a local tree trimming service should help.
Air circulation is another reason to prune your tree branches. Thinning the crown – the top, thick part of your tree – can improve its health and allow it more air flow to respirate. (Yes, trees respirate!)
Last but not least, you can shape a tree into your favorite lawn design with tree trimming or pruning. Topiaries are shaped trees that are popular in gardens the world over. If you love pruning and natural art – you could create your own masterpiece by pruning.
How to Prune a Tree
Beginning lawnscapers might prefer to hire a tree trimming service to prune their arboreal beauties. But if you want to learn how to prune your own trees, all you have to do is try!
You will need a well-kept pair of pruning shears for your project, and protective gloves for gardening are also highly encouraged.
The key to pruning a tree is cutting a wedge shape into the branch you wish to discard. Make sure you’re only removing unhealthy or unwanted sections of the tree. It’s important to preserve as much healthy growth as possible, as it makes for happy trees and a beautiful lawn.
One thing to remember: your wedge shape cut should always be on the branch side of your tree – not on the stem or trunk. Think of it like giving the tree a haircut. You’ll want to cut the hair, not cut into the scalp.
It takes practice to learn the wedge-cutting technique but learning how to prune a tree really is that simple.
Learn More about Lawn Care
Now that you know how to prune a tree, we hope you’ll choose to learn more from East Coast Sprayers about weeding and other lawncare tips.
For lawn care needs you can’t DIY, we look forward to hearing from you!
