What is Pruning?

Pruning isn’t just about making a landscape look manicured. Of course, a well pruned tree or bush can look better after receiving proper attention from a professional arborist but there are reasons to prune that go well beyond trying to impress the neighbors or just tame an unruly mess.

Health

How plants send energy from roots to leaves is something most of us learned in grade school. However, like with most systems, the devil is in the details. It’s important to know where to cut so that the plant as a whole is not deprived of nutrients. Most people have heard that it’s wise to snip leaders in a tomato plant to feed the fruit but a large percentage of those people are not quite sure what they should be removing and cutting the wrong thing can damage a plant.

Arborist is a protected term like nurse or doctor. A licensed arborist has studied and tested to prove knowledge and is therefore able to improve the health of plants because of that skillset and experience. It’s not easy to grow fruit trees in Connecticut but, with the right care, you can pull a pear from your own tree and feel the juice sliding down your chin on a sunny afternoon.

Safety

Unhealthy plants are not only ugly but can be dangerous. Thinning the canopy of a tree can allow air to pass through the branches. While trees can withstand a lot of push from wind, it isn’t always the wisest move to depend solely on that strength. Microbursts and hurricanes can produce gusts that will easily topple a tree. It’s better to give the tree a little relief by making sure there is enough space between branches and leaves that the pressure is dissipated.

Pruning also helps to keep air moving between landscape plants living close to the house and the structure itself, reducing mold and discouraging insects and small animals from damaging the home. Even something as seemingly annoying as a small branch scraping against a window or siding can, over time, become a problem that is easily avoided—as is the irritation.

Esthetics

It’s true that a well pruned bush or does look better. Depending on the conditions on your property, trees and bushes may not grow in a pleasing manner because they’re fighting for light and water. If you’ve ever envied a beautifully landscaped lawn, realize the amount of work that went into getting it to look that way.

Arborists are about more than cutting down trees; tree service includes making sure our specimens are strong, healthy, and beautiful for many years.

Call 203-515-3051 for not just a free estimate but answers to questions so your plants can look and be their best!