Will cutting limbs off of your tree kill it?
Every part of a tree contributes to the entire tree’s survival. The roots anchor and absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil, while the tree bark protects the tree from any external elements. The tree’s limbs and branches transport water and other nutrients to the tree’s main extremities. So, will cutting limbs off of your tree kill it? In this blog, we’ll go over a few dos and don’ts of cutting the limbs off your trees as advised by Harford Tree. Read on to learn more!
Knowing Your Trees
Know your tree before you try cutting off any limbs. Research the tree species that you have on your property because tree species differ. You could also hire a professional team for all of your pruning requirements. A certified arborist has what it takes to cut off limbs without potentially killing your tree.
Pruning the Right Way
If you decide to go the DIY route, consider using correct pruning techniques to minimize the chances that cutting off a limb will kill your trees. Besides removing dead branches and knowing when to prune, these pruning tips are valuable to the health of your trees:
–Avoid Bad Cuts: Experienced professionals won’t make stab cuts, heading cuts, or flush cuts, as they compromise a tree’s overall integrity, and neither should you.
–Do Not Top a Tree: Topping involves making a cut below the apex of a tree’s main trunk. While a few people use this technique to reduce a tree’s overall height, topping usually stresses the affected trees and forces them to develop a lot of weakly attached branches that could require more corrective work. Topping can be very dangerous to your tree’s health.
–Avoid Pruning Big Branches: Pruning big tree branches could create serious wounds too big for the tree to seal off, resulting in pests or disease infestation. Pruning big branches also raises safety problems and causes possible property damage or injuries. Do not remove too much of your tree’s crown since pruning works best as a long-term solution instead of a short-term practice. Depending on the tree’s overall size, age, and condition, you should never remove more than five to 20 percent of a tree’s crown.
Try Not to Injure a Tree’s Bark
Avoid bark damage from pruning by not dropping and tossing branches down through your tree’s crown. The tree-step pruning method minimizes the chances of tree bark damage while cutting big limbs:
-Make the first pruning cut on the underside of your branch
-Remove excess branch weight by making a second cut farther out along the tree branch
-Lastly, cut just beyond the branch collar to ensure there’s a good seal
Tree Care and Maintenance from Harford Tree
Ready to have the beautiful yard you have always dreamed of? Harford Tree Experts & Landscaping, Inc has been in the business for decades, providing customers with quality work and quick responses all at the right price. We service the areas of Harford County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City areas including Bel Air, Fallston, Perry Hall, Towson, Essex, Parkville, White Marsh and Middle River.
For service during business hours, reach out to us or give us a call at 410-592-7321. We offer 24/7 emergency service as well, just give us a call at 443-250-6649. For updates about our business and more informative tips, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.