Tree pruning in Minnesota is an important landscaping service that can beautify and reinforce trees so they will fight off insects, diseases and severe weather – and look good doing it!
Pruning should be performed if you want healthy trees, but it needs to be done correctly by someone who has experience in what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from MN Tree Trimming. Homeowners may be able to prune trees safely while they are still small and growing, but you also may be doing permanent damage to the tree in the process.
To correctly prune trees, you should know all of the following:
- When is the best time to prune your species of trees
- How much of the tree should be pruned at at once
- Where to cut each branch so you do not harm the tree
Removing too much from a tree can kill it or result in structural damage, but minimal pruning done annually benefits trees in several ways. Pruning helps to improve the appearance of trees, makes them healthier, eliminates dying or diseased portions and expedites fruit or flower production.
For the best results, pruning should be performed each year, but as trees get older, you might be able to go two years between pruning services. Regardless of how routinely you have your trees trimmed, 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 MN Tree Trimming in Minnesota!
Types of Tree Pruning Methods
There are 7 ways to properly prune a tree so that it grows stronger and healthier each year.
Depending on the shape, type and health problems of your trees, one method may be more effective than another, but each technique has different benefits.
Crown Thinning Your Trees
Crown thinning is common for larger, overgrown trees in Minnesota. This process removes weak branches within the crown to allow more light and air flow throughout the crown. Air flow is especially important to help prevent disease.
This pruning method also removes branches and limbs that are touching so they do not rub up against one another and break or create weaker areas that can be an entry point for insects and pests. Limbs that grow at odd angles are typically removed during crown thinning.
Crown Raising Your Trees
This pruning technique removes branches at the lowest part of the crown so limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Letting low branches get too big makes them very difficult to cut off, and they can pull nutrients away from the top of the tree, resulting in less fruit and a weak tree.
There are many reasons you may choose to raise the crown of a tree. Many times, it is done in order to clear the line of sight for automobiles and pedestrians, but it can be done to create space for landscaping beneath the tree.
It is a common technique for overgrown trees that are too close to homes and other buildings.
Crown Reduction
Crown reduction reduces the total size of the crown from its exterior edge. It shortens limbs vertically and horizontally to maintain the tree at a certain size. By reducing the crown size, you can remove the need to cut down the tree because it won’t come into contact with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.
Even if the tree isn’t near structures like these, crown reduction will make the tree look neater because it eliminates irregular growth. This is a good solution for trees that are a variety of ages but are supposed to look uniform.
Crown Cleaning
Also referred to as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive type of trimming technique that removes dying, broken or diseased limbs so that the rest of the tree will continue to grow normally. These limbs can only create issues later.
Crown cleaning makes the tree look a lot better, and it prevents branches from rubbing together. Plus it is a safety practice that lowers the risk of falling branches, since healthy branches rarely fall.
Crown Restoration
Crown restoration is an intense pruning method for trees that have been severely damaged (either by pests or weather). It should be attempted by a professional who knows where the tree is going to grow in the future and just how long it’s restoration is going to take.
Unlike other tree pruning services, crown restoration happens throughout an extended time period with conservative trimming that reshapes the tree. The arborist will have a definitive plan to restore the tree, but also must be flexible as the tree grows and reshapes on its own, adapting to the tree’s new growth pattern.
Vista Pruning
If you are looking for trees to increase the beauty of your landscaping, you are most likely interested in vista pruning. The goal of vista pruning is to help to make the tree more aesthetically pleasing from a particular viewing point.
It encompasses several pruning techniques including crown thinning, crown cleaning and crown reduction – anything that makes the trees look prettier. Remember, though, that a professional will never sacrifice the health of a tree, so the focus of vista pruning is still to create strong, healthy trees.
Espalier Pruning
Espaliered trees are pruned heavily to grow flat up against walls or a trellis. It is a different style of tree trimming that will attract a lot of attention to your lawn. Espalier pruning should be started when the tree is very young and then continued very consistently during the tree’s life span.
of espalier pruning include facilitating maximum sunlight to get to the trees, as well as making it easier to harvest fruit.
Professional Tree Pruning in Minnesota
Tree pruning can be dangerous for a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! MN Tree Trimming highly suggests professional tree pruning over DIY.
Aside from the dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of harm to a tree if you don’t prune it correctly. Over-pruning is one of the most common mistakes made by homeowners trimming their own trees.
Trees in Minnesota that get annual care from a professional are much better off, and hiring an experienced arborist from MN Tree Trimming to care for 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 Minnesota!
