Three Common Tree Care Mistakes You Should Avoid Making
If you're like most homeowners, you really appreciate the trees in your yard. They provide shade and aesthetic beauty, and in some cases, they give you food for the family table. However, most homeowners aren't tree care experts, and often unknowingly make mistakes that have the potential to harm their trees. Following are three mistakes that you should avoid making with your trees.
Topping the Trees
According to professional arborists, tree topping is one of the worst things that can happen to a tree. Tree topping involves major cuts to trees and often takes place after the plant receives storm damage under the advice of improperly trained landscaping personnel. However, a tree that is topped after experiencing storm damage may be more apt to languish and die than recover, so make sure your tree care professional is knowledgeable and educated, and be wary of anyone who advises tree topping as a cure for storm damage.
Pruning at the Wrong Time of the Year
Another common mistake homeowners make is to prune their trees at the wrong time of year. Many people simply prune their trees when they think the tree looks a little too overgrown, but this can actually damage trees if done at the wrong time of year. Although you can and should remove dead and dying branches as soon as possible after you notice them, actual pruning for shape and size needs to be done during winter or very early spring. The reason for this is that during the growing season, plant pathogens are extremely active, and a pruning cut may be just the right pathway for a pathogen to gain entrance to your tree's vascular system. Trees are dormant during winter and early, and pathogens aren't nearly as active, making this a far better time to prune. Also, you'll be able to do a better job during this time because foliage won't be getting in your way.
Cleaning Up Major Storm Damage
Picking up blown down twigs and leaves and removing low, small branches after a storm is fine, but unless you have specialized training, it's best to leave the major storm damage cleanup to the professionals. For instance, if complete tree removal or the removal of major branches is attempted by an untrained person who doesn't have the proper equipment, it may result in damage to people or property.
Please feel free to contact a local tree service company like Affordable Tree Care for more information on how to keep your trees healthy and thriving.