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Pruning and trimming of trees are two well known terms concerning tree maintenance. Moreover, a pruning can be regular or severe. Very often, we don't know that a pruning can exist in a severe form. It is the context that tells you exactly what it is. It is important to be able to distinguish between a gentle pruning and its severe variant. After reading this page, you will be able to distinguish between the two forms of pruning.
Pruning is a good technique for trees. The same is true for tree trimming. It is to your advantage to use these tree care techniques on a regular basis. When a pruning exceeds certain limits, however, we can speak of severe pruning, and in this case, it is harmful to the plant. Nevertheless, practicing a severe form of pruning can be necessary in certain contexts. Among others, it is practiced for safety reasons. We will see it after having presented the utility of a pruning as well as the ideal moment in a year to proceed to it. You will see that for regular and gentle pruning, as well as for severe pruning, it is useful to have guidelines to know how and when to act, because it is not always clear. The advice of certified arborists can be very useful in untangling what is not always obvious. |
Why prune your trees?
One of the most common reasons for pruning is to beautify your landscape. How nice it is to be at home, with family or friends, enjoying good times spent outside! You can take full advantage of all the happiness that your garden can bring you. The neatly trimmed trees radiate a soothing sense of beauty. We don't know how it works, but the stresses of everyday life just run away.
In addition, this technique also provides benefits to your trees themselves. The arborist will carefully observe your plant specimens, determine the branches to be cut, imagine the desired final shape and establish how to produce it. Then, he will cut carefully, removing only the damaged, diseased or dead branches. If it is necessary to thin out, to clear a pile of too dense twigs, he makes sure to limit himself to the essential. At all times, his concern is to ensure the long-term health of the plant. This principle is embedded in the technique.
Trees become stronger and more resistant to disease or fungus, insect invasions and bad weather. Pruning also helps prevent unfortunate future consequences by keeping branches away from buildings or passageways. In the case of fruit trees, this will stimulate their fruit production. You can also ask for clearing to ensure more light in the solarium or on your terrace. On the other hand, you may ask for more growth in a leafy crown to shade an area.
In addition, this technique also provides benefits to your trees themselves. The arborist will carefully observe your plant specimens, determine the branches to be cut, imagine the desired final shape and establish how to produce it. Then, he will cut carefully, removing only the damaged, diseased or dead branches. If it is necessary to thin out, to clear a pile of too dense twigs, he makes sure to limit himself to the essential. At all times, his concern is to ensure the long-term health of the plant. This principle is embedded in the technique.
Trees become stronger and more resistant to disease or fungus, insect invasions and bad weather. Pruning also helps prevent unfortunate future consequences by keeping branches away from buildings or passageways. In the case of fruit trees, this will stimulate their fruit production. You can also ask for clearing to ensure more light in the solarium or on your terrace. On the other hand, you may ask for more growth in a leafy crown to shade an area.
When should you prune your trees?
The question of when it is appropriate to prune is not a yes or no answer. To simplify things, remember that it can be done at any time of the year, except at three times, during hot weather or when there is sap movement. Heat stresses the specimen and the sun can burn some of its sections. A water deficit can result, browning leaves or drying out the wood. As far as sap movement is concerned, we are first talking about the period of rising sap, in late winter or early spring, a time that varies somewhat depending on the particular annual conditions and the species concerned. This period corresponds to the budding or unfolding of the leaves. The bud is simply the fluff of the buds. Flowering is also a period of rising sap. The other period of sap movement is downward, it occurs when the leaves fall. Apart from these times when it is best not to prune, the technique can be practiced at any other time of the year.
You may have heard that pruning is ideal in winter, or even the opposite, that it is better to prune green, out of the dormant season. In fact, each has its advantages and disadvantages. The main thing is to preserve the nutrient reserve and a balanced ratio of sap to foliage mass of the specimen.
You may have heard that pruning is ideal in winter, or even the opposite, that it is better to prune green, out of the dormant season. In fact, each has its advantages and disadvantages. The main thing is to preserve the nutrient reserve and a balanced ratio of sap to foliage mass of the specimen.
Is severe pruning acceptable?
Severe pruning occurs when regular pruning would not be sufficient and when the situation does not justify cutting down either. Severe pruning is nothing more or less than going beyond the healthy limits of proper pruning. So, more than 20% of the crown is cut off, or the top of a tree is removed. Large-diameter branches or main branches are pruned. The idea is to drastically reduce the size of the plant so that it occupies less space.
The practice of this technique makes the architecture of a tree ugly and unstable. A coniferous tree could for example end up with several heads. This act causes enormous stress to the trees. They may not fully recover or may die prematurely. It is not uncommon for a felling to be preferable.
So why is severe pruning done? It is human necessity that prompts the practice. More and more, however, the tendency is to abandon all severe pruning and to reserve it mainly for cases where risks are present or when an authority requires it. The aim is to protect the safety of people and the integrity of material goods, constructions or infrastructures. Or to ensure free movement in the street, a bicycle path or a pedestrian walkway. Of course, you don't want your roof to be pierced one morning or your car to be dented because a heavy branch has collapsed on it! The prevention of such consequences is therefore a good reason to carry out severe pruning.
To establish the relevance of severe pruning, it is wise to call us at 450-914-5457. At Emondage Mascouche, our certified arborists can assess the situation and tell you if severe pruning is required or if it is better to cut down.
However, please note that in silviculture, severe pruning techniques in the forest are practiced appropriately, in order to produce wood for marketing.
The practice of this technique makes the architecture of a tree ugly and unstable. A coniferous tree could for example end up with several heads. This act causes enormous stress to the trees. They may not fully recover or may die prematurely. It is not uncommon for a felling to be preferable.
So why is severe pruning done? It is human necessity that prompts the practice. More and more, however, the tendency is to abandon all severe pruning and to reserve it mainly for cases where risks are present or when an authority requires it. The aim is to protect the safety of people and the integrity of material goods, constructions or infrastructures. Or to ensure free movement in the street, a bicycle path or a pedestrian walkway. Of course, you don't want your roof to be pierced one morning or your car to be dented because a heavy branch has collapsed on it! The prevention of such consequences is therefore a good reason to carry out severe pruning.
To establish the relevance of severe pruning, it is wise to call us at 450-914-5457. At Emondage Mascouche, our certified arborists can assess the situation and tell you if severe pruning is required or if it is better to cut down.
However, please note that in silviculture, severe pruning techniques in the forest are practiced appropriately, in order to produce wood for marketing.
Emondage Mascouche is available 12 months a year to serve you. Call us at 450-914-5457 to get your free quote for regular or severe pruning, or any of our other tree care services, such as tree trimming.
Well-maintained trees offer a striking appeal. However, each species has its own particularities. Knowing exactly how to intervene and when to intervene in specific circumstances and tree species is not always easy. Our arborists will advise you judiciously, thanks to their specialized knowledge. Finally, a pruning can be completed by a chipping, thus avoiding you to accumulate branches unnecessarily at home.
Well-maintained trees offer a striking appeal. However, each species has its own particularities. Knowing exactly how to intervene and when to intervene in specific circumstances and tree species is not always easy. Our arborists will advise you judiciously, thanks to their specialized knowledge. Finally, a pruning can be completed by a chipping, thus avoiding you to accumulate branches unnecessarily at home.
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450-914-5457
450-914-5457