Common Pruning Mistakes and the Harm They Do to Your Trees

You have pruned a tree only to second guess yourself afterwards, thinking you may have done more damage than good. Perhaps you are concerned that an ill-advised cut could put the specimen trees or mature oaks on your property in jeopardy. In any case, you would be right to want to safeguard what established trees bring to your estate in terms of value.

We at Maguire Tree Care, Inc. can help with that. A family firm started by Paul Maguire, we have been tending to the trees of property owners in the Peninsula and South Bay Area for some time now, since 1999. Our staff includes ISA Certified Arborists and we hold TCIA accreditation. For any concerns over the condition of your trees, give us a ring at (650) 362-8918.

On the face of it pruning is straightforward, yet it is perhaps the most misapprehended element of tree care; a minor blunder will cost a fine tree years of its life. Happily, if one is aware of the pitfalls, they are not hard to avoid.

Topping: The Worst Offence

By far the most injurious thing to do to a tree is to top it, i.e. to hack back large branches to stubs in order to take down its height. Deprived of the leaves to make food, a topped tree will put forth weak shoots in response, fast growing but badly attached and likely to snap. Then there are the sizeable open wounds which are a magnet for pests and decay. In the end a tree that has been topped is more of a hazard, not less. We come across them all over the Peninsula, the harm being irreversible in many instances. An arborist with the right training will employ thinning and reduction cuts to bring a tree in line without compromising its form.

Taking Too Much

Leaves are what a healthy tree is dependent on. Strip too many away in a season and you are making it use up its reserves to recover while starving it. One should be circumspect with older trees especially; as a rule of thumb do not remove more than a small part of the living canopy in a year. Excessive pruning puts stress on the tree and compromises its defences, sometimes resulting in sunscald to bark that was once in the shade.

Badly Placed Cuts

It is as important where the cut is made as the fact of making it. You will see all manner of errors:

• Flush cuts that take out the branch collar so the wound will not seal
• Stubs left to die and let in decay
• Healthy tissue damaged by cutting into the branch bark ridge
• Tearing the bark of a big limb for want of an undercut
• A haphazard cut along the branch instead of back to a sound lateral

The correct way is to cut just outside the branch collar and let the tree do the rest.

Poor Timing

A tree will not recover as well if you prune at an inopportune moment. Doing so when the tree is under the strain of a drought or sweltering heat is asking too much. Some species are also susceptible to insects and the diseases they carry from fresh cuts if you work on them in the wrong season. A certified arborist will know the growth cycle of each species and plan accordingly.

Neglecting Your Tools

An easy thing to miss. A dull blade will leave a ragged wound that is slow to mend by crushing and tearing. And unless you clean your tools after working on a diseased tree, you run the risk of bringing pathogens to a healthy one. Good equipment is a protection for the tree before you and those in its vicinity.

One Size Does Not Fit All

There is a difference in the requirements of a young shade tree and a heritage oak or ornamental of note. To treat them in like fashion is a mistake. With the older, more prized trees a more considered approach is called for, something in keeping with our long standing practice of preservation and fine pruning on residential estates.

Let Us Put Our Expertise to Work for You

Replacing the trees on your property is a decades long proposition. Before you or some untrained crew put a saw to them, have a word with someone who knows what is involved. Maguire Tree Care is licensed and insured and we are here Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm, or around the clock for an emergency. Free estimates are provided.

To arrange a consultation and ensure your trees get the attention they should, call (650) 362-8918.