Tree pruning in Oregon is an important landscaping service that can beautify and reinforce trees so they are able to withstand pests, diseases and severe weather – and look wonderful doing it!
Pruning needs to be completed if you want a healthy tree, but it has to be done correctly by someone who has experience in what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from OR Tree Trimming. You may be able to prune trees safely while they are small and developing, but you also may do irreparable damage to the tree in the process.
To safely prune trees, you must know all of the following:
- When is the best time to prune your types of trees
- How much of the tree should be pruned at a time
- Where to cut the branches so you do not harm the tree
Taking too much from a tree might kill it or lead to structural damage, but minimal pruning done each year benefits trees in several ways. Professional pruning improves the appearance of trees, makes them healthier, eliminates dying or diseased portions and assists in fruit or flower production.
Ideally, pruning needs to be done annually, but as trees get older, you may be able to go two years between pruning services. Regardless of how often you have your trees pruned, be sure your arborist is qualified to perform the type of tree pruning your trees need. This won’t be an issue if you call OR Tree Trimming in Oregon!
Types of Tree Pruning Methods
There are 7 ways to properly prune a tree so that it grows stronger and healthier every year.
Depending on the size, type and health problems of your trees, one method may be more effective than another, but each technique has various benefits.
Crown Thinning Your Trees
Crown thinning is popular for larger, overgrown trees in Oregon. This process eliminates weak branches within the crown to allow more light and air flow within the crown. Air flow is especially important to help prevent disease.
This pruning method also removes branches and limbs that are touching so they no longer rub against one another and break or create weaker areas that can be an access point for pests. Branches that grow at odd angles are typically removed during crown thinning.
Crown Raising Your Trees
This tree pruning technique only removes branches and limbs at the lowest part of the crown so limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Allowing low branches to get too large makes them hard to remove, and they can draw nutrients away from the top of the tree, which leads to less fruit and a weaker tree.
There are several reasons you might decide to raise the crown of a tree. Often, it is done to clear the line of sight for cars and pedestrians, but it can also be done to make space for landscaping beneath the tree.
It is a common technique for large trees that are close to homes and buildings.
Crown Reduction
Crown reduction lowers the overall size of the crown from its exterior edge. It shortens limbs horizontally and vertically to keep the tree at a certain size. By reducing the size of the crown, you can eliminate the need to cut the tree down because it won’t come into contact with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.
Even when the tree isn’t near structures like these, crown reduction will help the tree look much better because it removes irregular growth. This is a great idea for trees that are various ages but you want to look uniform.
Crown Cleaning
Sometimes referred to as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive type of tree pruning method that gets rid of dead, snapped or diseased limbs so that the rest of the tree may grow normally. These branches can only cause issues over time.
Crown cleaning makes the tree look much better, and it prevents branches from rubbing together. It is also a safety practice that reduces the risk of branches falling, since healthy branches do not fall very often.
Crown Restoration
Crown restoration is an intense trimming process used on trees that were severely damaged (either by pests or weather). It should only be done by an experienced arborist who knows where the tree is going to grow in the future and just how long it’s restoration is going to take.
Unlike most other tree pruning services, crown restoration happens during a longer time period with conservative pruning that reshapes the tree. Your arborist will have a definitive plan to restore the tree, but also be flexible as the tree begins to grow and reshape on its own, working with the tree’s new growth.
Vista Pruning
If you want trees to add to curb appeal, you are most likely interested in vista pruning. The purpose of vista pruning is to make the tree more visually pleasing from a particular vantage point.
It consists of many tree trimming techniques including crown thinning, crown cleaning and crown reduction – any technique that helps the trees look prettier. Remember, though, that a professional will never sacrifice the health of a tree, so the primary focus of vista pruning is still to maintain strong, healthy trees.
Espalier Pruning
Espaliered trees are pruned heavily to grow flat up against a wall or a trellis. It is a different style of tree trimming that will attract a lot of attention to your yard. Espalier pruning must be started when the tree is very young and then done routinely during the tree’s life span.
Benefits of espalier pruning include allowing maximum sunlight to get to the trees, as well as making it exceptionally easier to produce fruit.
Professional Tree Pruning in Oregon
Tree pruning can be harmful to a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! OR Tree Trimming highly encourages professional tree pruning over attempting DIY.
Besides the many dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of damage to a tree if you don’t know how to trim it correctly. Over-pruning is one of the most common mistakes made by homeowners caring for their own trees.
Trees in Oregon that get annual care from a professional are usually much better off, and hiring an experienced arborist from OR Tree Trimming to trim the trees on your property is a choice you won’t regret. Locate your city in our service area. We work with arborists across the entire state of Oregon!
