TREE PRUNING
“Tree pruning, hedge trimming, tree maintenance. these are all crucial elements for the aesthetics of any property.”
WHAT IS TREE PRUNING?
Tree pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure that we perform. Although trees can grow quite well without intervention, trees that are part of an urban landscape require regular care to ensure that they remain a fit with the landscape’s desired aesthetic, as well as keeping them healthy and - most importantly - safe.
We recommend having an arborist assess your trees every 12 - 18 months to ensure they are growing to plan. However, depending on the species of tree, and your goals for your tree growth (eg: trying to grow a hedge, building a screen, or if you would like your tree to maintain a certain shape), you may need more regular tree or hedge pruning.
WHY IS PRUNING IMPORTANT?
Although there are many reasons to prune trees, the three main reasons people bring us in to prune their trees are:
TREE HEALTH:
Correct tree pruning methods help trees stay as healthy as possible by removing the branches, roots or other unhealthy tree sections that inhibit healthy growth.
Some things that help improve a tree’s health include:
Removing small suckers that are growing in incorrect spots - these look unsightly and are often caused by improper pruning techniques.
Thinning out foliage that is too dense and heavy - this helps reduce the weight and wind resistance on the limbs, and enables the tree to focus its energy on growing correctly.
Removing crossing branches - these can cause wounds in the tree that over time will cause the tree to decay.
Removing branches and sections that have insect infestation or disease - by removing infected sections of a tree early, you can save that tree from certain death!
TREE SAFETY:
Tree pruning has a significant impact on the safety of the large trees in your life. Unsafe trees can cause headaches for everyone who comes into contact with them - literally!
Pruning of foliage can reduce the weight on limbs. When tree limbs are carrying too much weight, they can tear off the trunk and come crashing to the ground (this is especially true when it comes to native Australian Gum trees).
Reducing deadwood. Over time, smaller branches and limbs can start to die. This can happen for a number of reasons, and it‘s important to get these dead branches dealt with immediately, as they represent a much higher risk of falling than a regular healthy branch.
TREE STRUCTURE AND FORM:
Structure and form pruning can be done on all kinds of trees. It can be done for purely aesthetic reasons, or sometimes for long term health reasons. Some of the most common reasons that we will prune trees for form and structure around Melbourne are:
Pruning Manchurian pears around a pool or backyard to ensure they remain a manageable height and don’t produce too much leaf litter.
Pruning trees to ensure that they remain a certain shape - sometimes this is the classic up-and-out “tree” shape, sometimes this is pruning into a ball shape along a long driveway… whatever your flavour, we can help.
Branches and limbs that have grown out at awkward angles. Trees sometimes grow in ways that are not safe or healthy for the tree long term. Limbs could twist or point downwards, or some limbs can even grow with right angles in them. It’s important to take care of these before they become a real hazard.
Clearing a house - this involves shaping a tree’s limbs away from a house. Branches that rub on a house can cause noise in the wind and unnecessary damage that can be avoided with a simple prune.
Fence-line pruning - does your neighbour have some trees that hang over the fence and drive you mad? We can come in and prune them, taking them back to the fence-line and saving you from spending hours every weekend cleaning up leaf litter. Not sure of the laws around neighboring trees in your area? Check that here
WHEN CAN I GET MY TREE PRUNED?
Tree pruning can be done at anytime throughout the year in Melbourne, however it really does depend on the species of tree. It can be best to avoid pruning in the middle of winter and the middle of summer, as the tree is already conserving its energy and a prune could cause it to experience shock and start to die.