Why do we prune trees? Pruning mainly serves two purposes: attractiveness of the tree and the health of the tree. But you should also prune the branches that hang loose or could pose a danger when they fall down. Pruning the branches that are diseased in order to prevent the disease from spreading to the stem of the tree or to other branches is a good idea, too.

But can gardeners prune trees? In general, yes. If you want your gardener to prune the trees in your yard, you may have to provide the necessary equipment for them to do so; a ladder, an electric trimmer, rope — this equipment will likely be needed in order for your gardener to prune your trees effectively. We have a few tips for pruning trees for you and your gardener.

What to Do

The common mistake people make when pruning is making one cut for the branch they want to prune. This is a mistake, because tree branches are not exactly designed to be “cut” — once you cut a branch, you will notice that the branch tries to endure the cut, and the bark and fibers of the tree will drag across the branch, leaving a bad scar.

1. Make an small, “safety” cut before you make your cut. From the base of the spot you want to cut the branch, move a little bit farther away from the main stem of the tree and cut the underside of the branch – only a little bit. This ensures that the bark and fibers won’t stretch over to the tree’s stem or to the branch itself when you try to cut the branch.

2. Make a second cut, again a bit farther away from the main stem of the tree and the previous underside cut you made — make a downwards cut.

3. Now cut the branch off — throw away the rest of the branch (that you just cut) in a safe place. This cut was safe to do because of the previous cut you made.

4. Finally, cut downwards on the base of the branch that you originally cut. Since there is not a lot to cut, the cut should be relatively safe — but be careful as to not apply any unnecessary downward force on the branch when cutting. Doing so may inflict unnecessary scars on the tree.

Additional Help

Can gardeners prune trees? Of course — but after reading this guide, you can too! Some trees may be too talk for an inexperienced person to prune properly and safely. In this case, contact a professional. If you feel like you need professional help on pruning trees, TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts in this case, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.

This entry was originally posted on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Landscapers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.