‘Why, How and When’ of Pruning the Trees

These are the common questions of all the tree owners. All those who have trees in their backyard or the front garden may wonder why should they prune their trees and how often tree pruning techniques should be used? If you love your trees and you take every step to take good care of them, then pruning (also called trimming) them is a must practice. Pruning not only prevents your tree from turning to a gargantuan structure by maintaining its overgrown branches but also adds life and good health to your tree by taking away broken tree limbs. If pruning is not done at regular intervals, then your tree, its broken limbs and debris falling from it can become a problem for the health of your tree, other trees/plants around, your property or for your neighbours. Pruning of a tree is essential chiefly because of the following reasons:

  • Pruning of trees adds aesthetics to your premises. 
  • A structurally pruned tree grows properly and nurtures its leaves, fruits, and flowers magnificently.
  • Pruning can give the desired direction to the tree and facilitates even distribution of weight all over the tree thereby reducing the chances of a tree falling due to excess weight on one side or in case of a storm.
  • By way of pruning, broken branches, dead limbs and shooters are cleared. This clearance of debris prevents waterlogging which could harm the tree’s health by giving shelter to moulds and insects.
  • The threat of fire is reduced after pruning which can otherwise occur because of accumulated dead branches and shooters.

To ensure appropriate pruning of trees, one must be familiar with tree pruning techniques. Here are a few tips that one can keep in mind before pruning their trees.

  • While trimming the branches which are obstructing the growth of the other branches or are crossing over each other, one must prefer to retain U-shaped branches as U-shaped branches are stronger than V-shaped branches.
  • Chopping off too close to branch collar may damage soft tissues and may hinder branch/tree growth or may even cause infection in the tree. 
  • A tree should not be pruned in the first three years of its plantation so that its roots can gain sufficient strength at the new place i.e. the tree should be pruned at the dormant stage and not at the growing stage. 
  • Cutting too much of a branch will take away stored plant nutrients. Remember to trim 2/3rd of the crown area and 1/3rd of the base.

There are many other points which shall be taken care of while pruning a tree. Knowing these tree pruning techniques may not be a layman’s forte. ISA certified arborist in Mumbai may do the job proficiently. If you hire a certified arborist service in Mumbai or any other part of India, you can be rest assured that your tree will be pruned using appropriate tree pruning techniques. Additionally, you can also find other tree health care services at the same arborist in Mumbai. Hire services of an expert on tree arboriculture in India so that you can find all tree-related services under one roof like tree planning consultancy services, plant health care services, safe tree retention and protection strategies, tree pruning techniques, tree transplantation, etc. Besides helping the tree owner to prune the tree, the tree arborist in Mumbai also lets you know about your plant health and gives guidance on when to get the pruning done and how to maintain your tree for giving it a longer and healthier life.