Tree pruning in Maine is a landscaping service that can beautify and reinforce your trees so they are able to withstand pests, diseases and severe weather – and look good doing it!
Pruning needs to be done if you want healthy trees, but it needs to be done correctly by someone who knows what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from ME Tree Trimming. Homeowners may be able to prune trees safely while they are still small, but you also may do permanent damage to the tree.
To properly prune trees, you should know all of the following:
- When to prune your types of trees
- How much of the tree can be trimmed at a time
- Where to cut each branch so you do not damage the tree
Removing too much from a tree can kill it or lead to structural damage, but precise pruning done every year benefits trees in a lot of ways. Pruning helps to improve the appearance of trees, makes them healthier, removes dead or diseased portions and expedites fruit or flower production.
For the best results, pruning needs to be performed every year, but as trees mature, you might be able to go two years between pruning services. Regardless of how often 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 ME Tree Trimming in Maine!
Types of Tree Pruning Methods
There are 7 different ways to properly trim a tree so that it grows healthier and stronger each year.
Depending on the shape, type and health concerns of your trees, one pruning method might be more effective than another, but each technique has distinct benefits to consider.
Crown Thinning Your Trees
Crown thinning is popular for larger, overgrown trees in Maine. This technique removes weak branches within the crown of the tree to improve sunlight and air flow through the crown. Air flow is important to help prevent disease.
This tree pruning method also gets rid of branches and limbs that are touching so they no longer rub up against one another and snap or create weakened areas that can be an entry point for pests. Limbs that grow at strange angles are almost always removed during crown thinning.
Crown Raising Your Trees
This pruning method only removes branches at the lowest part of the crown so limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Allowing low branches to get too large makes them difficult to cut off, and they can pull nutrients from the top of the tree, which leads to less fruit and a weaker tree.
There are many reasons you might want to raise the crown of a tree. Frequently, it is done in order to clear the line of sight for cars and pedestrians, but it can also be done to make space for landscaping underneath the tree.
It is a very common technique for overgrown trees that are close to homes and other buildings.
Crown Reduction
Crown reduction reduces the total size of the tree’s crown from its outer edges. It shortens branches horizontally and vertically to maintain the tree at a manageable size. By reducing the crown size, you can remove the need to chop the tree down because it will no longer come into contact with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.
Even when the tree isn’t near structures like these, crown reduction will help the tree look neater because it also removes irregular growth. This is a good idea for trees that are different ages but you want to look uniform.
Crown Cleaning
Often known as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive pruning method that removes dead, snapped or diseased limbs so that the remaining sections of the tree may continue to grow normally. These limbs can only cause problems over time.
Crown cleaning helps to make the tree look a lot better, and it stops branches from rubbing together. It is also a safety practice that reduces the likelihood of branches falling, since healthy branches rarely fall.
Crown Restoration
Crown restoration is an intense pruning technique used on trees that were significantly damaged (either by weather or vandals). It should be performed by a certified arborist who knows where the tree is likely to grow over time and roughly just how long it’s restoration is going to take.
Unlike other tree pruning services, crown restoration occurs over a longer period of time with conservative pruning that reshapes the tree. The arborist will have a definitive plan to restore the tree, but also must be flexible as the tree starts to grow and reshape on its own, adapting to the tree’s new growth.
Vista Pruning
If you are striving for trees that increase the beauty of your landscaping, you are actually interested in vista pruning. The intent of vista pruning is to make the tree more visually pleasing from a particular vantage point.
It entails many pruning techniques including crown thinning, crown cleaning and crown reduction – anything that makes the trees look prettier. Remember, though, that an arborist will never jeopardize the health of a tree, so the primary focus of vista pruning is still to maintain strong, healthy trees.
Espalier Pruning
Espaliered trees are heavily pruned to grow flat up against a wall or a trellis. It is a different style of trimming that will attract a lot of attention to your lawn. Espalier pruning needs to begin when the tree is young and then continued very consistently throughout the tree’s life span.
of espalier pruning include allowing maximum sunlight to get to the trees, as well as making it easier to produce fruit.
Professional Tree Pruning in Maine
Tree trimming can be harmful to a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! ME Tree Trimming highly suggests professional tree trimming over DIY.
Besides the dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of harm to a tree if you don’t know how to prune it correctly. Over-pruning is one of the most common errors made by homeowners maintaining their own trees.
Trees in Maine that get annual care from a professional are usually much better off, and hiring a certified arborist from ME Tree Trimming to care for the 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 Maine!
