Pruning Done Right: Edmonton’s Guide to Common Pruning Mistakes to Avoid
Unless you’re a professional and love to prune your trees and shrubs, it can seem like a daunting task to take on. However, tree pruning ensures the health of the plants in your backyard and is an essential part of tree care. Whether you’re a beginner or have lots of experience, there are common pruning mistakes that everyone makes from time to time. Your Edmonton Arborist will teach you what common mistakes to avoid and how to properly prune your trees and shrubs. So get the pruning shears, dig out the tools, and let’s get to work on crafting the perfect tree pruning!
Six Big No-Nos to Avoid Pruning Mistakes
Below, you will find the six common pruning mistakes you can avoid to achieve the best-looking trees and shrubs in the neighbourhood. We promise it’s all quite simple and will leave you with perfect trees and improved overall health to them!
1. Right Place, Wrong Time
Oh yes, your tree might be in the best and sunniest place in your yard to encourage strong roots and future growth, but you’re pruning your tree at the wrong time of the year. Believe it or not, there is, in fact, a perfect time to trim your tree. You will want to do a late winter pruning or an early spring pruning. Why this time of year and not summer? As much as we would love to tell you that you can do this in the warmth of that Edmonton sun, it’s best to prune in the late winter or early spring before new growth can start.
There is a slight loophole to this, though, unfortunately, not with your trees. If you have spring-flowering shrubs, they should be pruned after they bloom to avoid cutting next year’s flowers off.
Due to Edmonton’s climate, pruning late in the season can potentially lead to winter damage, and cherished new growth might not have time to harden and set before the cold hits. We know you know how cold the temperature could get in the blink of an eye here.
2. Avoid Over-Pruning–Seriously Put Down the Shears
Maybe you have a shape in mind that you recently saw on Pinterest, or maybe you’re being really ambitious and trying to make your tree or shrub into a lion. Whatever the idea is, don’t go crazy and over-prune. We get it; it can be tempting to get that perfect look, but too many snips here and there will quickly spiral into your having twigs and a handful of leaves.
Here’s why you will want to avoid this common pruning mistake. Removing too much of the plant will put stress on it and stunt its growth. We didn’t want to scare you, but over-pruning can encourage pests and diseases to settle into your plants.
We will tell you a little secret: Never remove more than 25% of a plant’s branches in a season. A proper pruning cut will just be a little off the top and a little off the sides, kinda what most men ask for when they sit down for their cut.
3. Don’t Do Your Plants Dirty With Bad Pruning Tools
After a time, your tools will wear down and need to be cared for. Some things you can do with your tree trimming to avoid common pruning mistakes are to clean your tools after every use and make sure to check on them before starting your pruning. A healthy tree is not cut with unclean tools that are dirty or too dull.
In Edmonton, fungal diseases and pests can be a big concern. Make sure to disinfect your tools after each use – this can prevent the spread of infection and keep your tree limbs in good condition.
4. Your Cuts Matter
Oh yeah, a common pruning mistake to avoid is improper cuts. We know that sounds a little ridiculous because of how your tree’s branches can be wrong, but believe us, you can. You will want to avoid cutting too close to the trunk, and don’t leave long stubs. Both these can hinder proper healing. Make sure to prune above the branch collar (the big area where the branch meets the trunk). This will reduce the risk of decay and disease.
5. Found Disease? It Won’t Get Better on Its Own
A pruning mistake that you will want to avoid is not ignoring diseased, dead, or damaged branches. If left uncared for, it will cause a lot of damage to your plants and affect their overall health. Edmonton’s climate has a lot of moisture, and temperatures drop to extreme lows that can encourage the growth of diseases.
If your tree has too much disease and it’s dying, you should consider getting a tree removal. Trusty Tree Services is more than happy to remove the dead or dying tree and plant a new tree in its place for you. Contact us for help.
6. Topping Trees
If you are unfamiliar with tree topping, it’s the process of removing large sections of your tree’s upper branches. This is a big no! We are waving the red flag when it comes to this common pruning mistake. This practice will result in poor regrowth and create a weakness in them that can be harmful. If your tree has to be trimmed down, we recommend hiring a member of our Trusty Tree Services team who can professionally use methods such as crown thinning.
Have You Learned About the Common Pruning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them?
Look, pruning mistakes will happen, and we hope this guide can help you navigate them better. Don’t stress over your pruning job. Whether you’re learning how to do it for the first time or are looking for guidance to pinpoint what you might be doing wrong, you’re in the right place.
Trusty Tree Services is here to help you with the health and beauty of your tree. If you feel uncomfortable doing tree pruning yourself or want to avoid common pruning mistakes, we are here to help you with all your needs!
Give us a call today to find out what Trusty Tree Services can do for you.