The moment a tree exceeds its environment, due to aesthetic or safety concerns, canopy reductions are used to trim the interior of the branches to a healthier size. This involves cutting up to 30% of the length of the branches.
Trimming or Pruning
Sometimes, tree owners want the size of their trees to be reduced considerably to help them stay in a shape that’s nothing less than perfect. At that point, they resort to pruning or tree trimming. There are plenty of advantages to trimming a tree. Aesthetically, it can keep excess growth that can damage a tree’s shape in check. Sometimes, it also prevents possible havoc on the property of their neighbors. Pruning also helps to prevent leaf diseases since airflow through the canopy of a tree improves.
The effect desired from tree pruning and canopy reduction depends on the type of tree, and must be carefully considered. In some cases, mature trees will likely need one of these things:
- Crown Lifting – This involves removing the branches that are on the lowest rung of the tree
- Crown Reduction – This involves cutting branch edges as a whole to reduce the tree’s size as a whole
- Crown Thinning – This involves taking branches away for the trees to have less density
Out of those three, the most typical technique used for pruning is generally crown reduction. It helps foliage from the tree’s outer edges to get into the crown. This helps the tree’s overall spread and height to be reduced considerably.
Crown Reduction
This is all about controlling the size and shape of a tree, especially when compared to tree topping, which removes the very top of the tree. This method involves cutting off the branches and fronds that are at the top of the canopy, reducing its size. However, it does not eliminate the crown; it simply trims its shape to control its size.
Instead, branches on the uppermost parts of the trees are cut shorter to decrease the size of a tree. It is a common misconception that those branches are completely removed; instead, they are pruned so that they become flush with lower branches of lateral growth so that they can heal faster and grow again properly.
As a rule, the standard is that it’s only 20% of a tree’s canopy at most that gets cut so that the tree doesn’t suffer.
Besides the cosmetic or aesthetic end of things, a tree’s crown reduction is also helpful when it comes to safety. It helps to bring down a tree’s weight as a whole, which helps when weather is stormy. Tree limbs are less likely to just snap off and turn into hazards for passers-by.
Perhaps the best part of crown reduction is that it does not have harmful effects on trees. It helps trees to stay healthier for much longer since infected branches and/or dying limbs have been disposed of.
Conclusion
Trees have incredible features such as their canopy but sometimes, that needs to be brought down. This usually happens through pruning, sometimes known as tree trimming. Mature trees usually need crown reduction, crown thinning or crown lifting.
Looking for a tree pruning service? Drop Ancient City Arbor a line today! We’re a family-owned and operated tree service company in St. Augustine, FL.