When was the last time the trees on your property were properly pruned? If it’s been a few years—or if you’ve never had your trees pruned—it’s time to schedule a tree pruning service to protect the health of your trees before it’s too late. Keep reading to learn about the different types of pruning.

By having a better understanding of what tree pruning entails and the different pruning methods that are used, you can be empowered to choose the best tree pruning service for the job.

Understanding the Basics of Tree Pruning

Specifically, tree pruning involves strategically cutting off or removing dead and dying branches and/or limbs from a tree.

So, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of pruning?

The main benefit of pruning a tree is to maintain its health. By removing dead and dying parts of a tree, you can help protect the healthy parts of the tree and prevent disease from spreading. Likewise, having your trees pruned can help keep them looking their best, which improves curb appeal on your property.

There really aren’t any drawbacks to tree pruning when this task is done correctly. However, a lack of experience with tree pruning can result in trees that are over pruned and thus even more susceptible to damage and disease. Likewise, tree pruning can be dangerous without the right tools and proper knowledge.

The 5 Types of Pruning

There are five primary methods that professional tree pruning services will use. These include:

  1. Dead pruning – this is a basic pruning process that involves removing dead, dying, and/or diseased branches from a tree.
  2. Crown thinning – this pruning method involves the removal of weaker limbs that are typically located at the top of a tree. The purpose of this is to allow more light and air to reach other parts of the tree and to reduce the risk of fallen branches, especially during periods of heavy wind or other adverse weather.
  3. Crown lifting – the opposite of crown thinning is crown lifting, which involves removing lower-hanging branches and limbs from a tree. This is done to prevent unwanted overhang around sidewalks and roads and is most common on smaller and younger trees.
  4. Crown reduction – to prevent larger trees from becoming too top-heavy, crown reduction may be done. This involves removing smaller branches that are attached to heavier limbs, thus promoting healthier growth without added weight.
  5. Pollarding – performed most often on young trees, pollarding involves removing all branches at regular intervals to create a framework for healthier secondary branches to grow.

Why Use a Tree Pruning Service?

With so many different types of pruning, how can you know what is best for your trees? The best way to handle this is to leave the work up to a professional tree pruning service.

At Atlanta Tree Professionals, tree pruning is one of the many services we have to offer. When you work with us, you can rest assured that our professionals will use the correct pruning methods and quality equipment to help your trees stay healthy and looking their best.

Contact us today to schedule your free estimate!