In part one of this two-part blog, we went over some of the primary signs that your trees might be in need of pruning services. Tree trimming and pruning is very important for both visual appeal and the health of your trees, and knowing the right times to do it can make a big difference.
At Reliable Tree Care, pruning is just one of several tree services we offer. Here are a few more of the detailed signs that your trees might be ripe for pruning.
Wandering Branches
This is another term for long, untamed branches that may have begun interacting with other nearby elements. Some of them may wrap around telephone poles or wires, while others may have reached your house itself and are causing damage.
In the case of wiring or electrical poles, the risks here are significant to both your property and electrical power in the area. When near your home, branches can move with the wind and damage everything from the roof to windows, siding and more. Pruning these kinds of branches ahead of time can avoid this issue entirely.
Outward Growth
Also called uninhibited tree growth, this is a condition where trees that have tons of open space on either side grow outward instead of upward. This would be fine on its own, except that it creates heavy branches that are likely to collapse due to their own high weight. This can lead to hazards in the yard and for other plants, but you can avoid it by pruning early and encouraging upward growth.
Cankers
If you notice spots on your tree’s bark that are sunken or just missing entirely, this is usually a condition called tree cankers. These often signal disease or decay symptoms, but pruning can help ward these off while avoiding rotting concerns that may crop up if you take no action.
Dead Leader Branch
The “leader branch” of a tree refers to one of several main branches that can be found at the stem. Some trees have just one or two leaders, while others will have many – and trees that have several will find their leader branches competing with each other for dominance. Pruning is a big part of this process; you can essentially select a dominant leader branch and prune others back, which will improve tree health long-term.
Irregular Shape
When trees have not received the proper pruning care over the years, they won’t grow properly and will take on poor shapes. Trees that are badly shaped have bad weight distributions, which leads to breaking branches and property damage in many cases. Pruning can help avoid this, however.
For more on when and why pruning is so important, or to learn about any of our tree trimming services, speak to the pros at Reliable Tree Care today.