Seasonal tree and shrub pruning is one of the most valuable things you can do for the longevity and health of your shrubs and trees. Taylor Expert Arborists provide professional pruning services that help to preserve the structural integrity, shape, health, and beauty of your trees and shrubs. Shrub care should be an overall part of your lawncare routine. Seasonal tree trimming also reduces the risk of falling tree limbs during severe weather, helping you safeguard your home, cars, and pets.
Why Should I Trim My Trees and Prune My Shrubs?
Homeowners generally trim trees and prune shrubs for one of three reasons: appearance, safety or health.
- Tree & Shrub Appearance: Trimming trees and pruning shrubs effectively helps to maintain their shape and appearance. However, you shouldn’t try to impose an unnatural shape or size on a tree or shrub. Over-trimming or over-pruning can cause serious injury to your trees and shrubs.
- Tree Safety: Deadwood or broken branches and limbs can fall off at any time, especially if storm damaged, which is a serious safety hazard. If the branches of a tree are over your home or driveway or laying on any part of your home, they should be trimmed away. Also, tree limbs and branches can occasionally grow too close to power lines. Your utility company or municipality can handle trimming street trees that interfere with power lines.
- Health of Your Trees and Shrubs: It is sometimes possible to save a diseased tree by strategically pruning away affected branches and limbs. Thinning the crown of a tree improves airflow, which can be very beneficial. If tree branches are crossing or rubbing together, they should be trimmed, or removed so that they don’t fall unexpectedly.
When is the Best Time to Trim My Trees?
Because of the variety of tree species, and the different purposes for trimming, Taylor Expert Arborists perform tree trimming services throughout the year. When the purpose of the trimming is to find and remove deadwood and damaged limbs on trees, winter can be an ideal season. However, regardless of the season, it’s important to trim out any diseased, storm damaged, or dead branches as soon as you notice them to prevent the spread of disease and promote the overall health of the tree.
- Dormant Season: For most trees, the dormant season, typically late fall to early spring, is the best time for major trimming. During this time, trees are dormant, which reduces stress and minimizes sap loss. Trimming trees during the dormant season also allows for better visibility of the tree’s structure and removes branches before new growth begins.
- Spring: Some trees benefit from trimming immediately after they bloom in the spring. This timing allows your tree to be shaped while still benefiting from the beauty of any blossoms. However, trimming too late in the spring can remove flower buds for the following year.
- Summer: Light pruning, such as removing dead branches or damaged branches, can be done during the summer months. We don’t perform heavy trimming during hot and dry periods, as it can stress the tree.
- Fall: As our climate becomes milder, fall can also be a suitable time for trimming. However, it’s essential to avoid pruning too late in the fall, as it can stimulate new growth that may be susceptible to frost damage.
- Avoid Pruning During Active Growth: We generally do not trim trees during periods of active growth in late spring and summer. Trimming during this time can stress the tree and interfere with its natural growth processes.
- Consider Species-Specific Timing: Some tree species have specific timing requirements for trimming . For example, trees that are susceptible to certain diseases may benefit from pruning during dry periods to reduce the risk of infection.
- Emergency Pruning: In cases of storm damage or safety hazards, tree trimming may need to be done at any time of the year to address immediate concerns and prevent further property damage.
What’s the Difference Between Tree Pruning and Tree Trimming?
Homeowners often refer to tree pruning and tree trimming interchangeably, but a professional tree service company knows there are subtle differences between tree pruning and tree trimming.
Tree Pruning
Tree pruning involves selectively removing specific branches or parts of a tree for the purpose of improving its structure, health, or appearance. Pruning can include removing deadwood, diseased or damaged branches, thinning out crowded areas to improve airflow and sunlight penetration, shaping the tree for aesthetic purposes, or reducing the overall size of the tree. Tree pruning is typically done with specific objectives in mind and requires careful consideration of the tree’s growth patterns and needs.
Tree Trimming
Tree trimming generally refers to the maintenance of a tree’s outer appearance by removing overgrowth or unruly branches, often for aesthetic purposes or to maintain clearance from structures, power lines, or other obstacles. Trimming may involve shaping the tree to a desired form, removing tree branches that are interfering with buildings or walkways, or simply keeping the tree’s size in check. While trimming can also improve the structure and the health of the tree by removing dead or diseased branches, it is usually less precise and focused than pruning.
The tree experts at Taylor Expert Arborists can evaluate a homeowners’ trees to determine whether tree pruning services or tree trimming services are necessary to grow and maintain large, mature, and healthy trees.
Types of Tree Trimming
Arborists and tree experts perform various types of tree trimming based on the specific needs of the tree and the homeowner’s desired outcomes. We primarily perform these methods of tree trimming:
- Crown Cleaning: This involves the removal of dead, diseased, or dying branches from the tree’s canopy. Crown cleaning helps improve the health of the tree and appearance while reducing the risk of disease spread or branch failure.
- Crown Thinning: Thinning the crown involves selectively removing inner branches to reduce density and improve air circulation and sunlight penetration throughout the canopy. Crown thinning helps reduce wind resistance and can mitigate the risk of storm damage.
- Crown Raising or Elevating: Crown raising involves removing lower branches to increase vertical clearance beneath the tree. This type of tree trimming is often done to provide clearance for vehicles, pedestrians, buildings, or other structures.
- Crown Reduction: Crown reduction involves selectively reducing the size of the tree’s canopy by trimming back the outermost branches. This can be done to decrease the overall size of the tree, mitigate hazards, or improve the tree’s shape and structure.
- Crown Shaping: Crown shaping involves trimming branches to achieve a desired shape or silhouette for aesthetic purposes. We commonly do this type of trimming for ornamental trees or trees in formal landscapes to enhance their visual appeal and symmetry.
- Deadwooding: Deadwooding involves the removal of dead branches from the tree. Dead branches can pose a safety hazard and should be removed promptly to prevent injury or property damage.
- Directional Pruning: Directional pruning involves selectively trimming branches to direct growth away from structures, power lines, or other obstructions. This type of trimming helps prevent future conflicts and hazards while promoting healthy growth in desired directions.
- Espalier Pruning: Espalier pruning is a specialized technique used to train trees to grow flat against a wall or structure in a specific pattern. This type of trimming is commonly used for fruit trees or ornamental trees in formal landscapes.
When is the Best Time to Prune My Shrubs?
The best time to prune shrubs depends on the specific shrub species, its growth habits, flowering patterns, and the pruning objectives. Also keep in mind how you want your shrubs to look and how they may fit into your overall landscape. Taylor Expert Arborists can advise you on proper pruning time for your shrubs. In general, shrubs can be pruned in:
- Late Winter to Early Spring: Late winter to early spring, typically from late February to early April, is generally the best time to prune many shrubs. During this time, shrubs are still dormant before new growth begins. Pruning shrubs during dormancy helps promote healthy growth and flowering during the upcoming growing season.
- After Flowering: For shrubs that bloom on old wood (last year’s growth), such as lilacs and forsythias, it’s best to have them pruned immediately after they finish flowering in spring. Homeowners can enjoy the flowers and ensure that flower buds won’t be mistakenly removed for the following year.
- Late Winter for Summer Bloomers: Shrubs that bloom on new wood (the current year’s growth), such as butterfly bushes and some hydrangeas, can be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Pruning during this time encourages new growth and promotes abundant flowering during the growing season.
- Avoid Pruning During Active Growth: We don’t recommend pruning shrubs during periods of active growth in late spring and summer. Shrub pruning during this time can disrupt the shrub’s growth and flowering cycle.
- Light Summer Pruning: Light pruning of shrubs can be done during the summer months to remove damaged or dead branches, shape the shrub, or control its size. However, we avoid heavy pruning during hot and dry periods, as it can stress the shrub.
- Fall Pruning: Fall can be a suitable time for pruning certain shrubs if temperatures are mild. However, we don’t want to prune shrubs too late in the fall, as it may stimulate new growth that can be damaged by frost as winter arrives.
Types of Shrub Pruning
Arborists and tree experts also employ various shrub pruning techniques based on the shrub species to minimize stress and damage to the plant and achieve the homeowner’s desired outcomes. Taylor Expert Arborists utilize these shrub pruning techniques to ensure the health of your shrubs:
- Renewal Pruning: Renewal pruning involves removing older, woody stems at or near ground level to rejuvenate the shrub. This technique stimulates new growth from the base of the plant, resulting in a healthier, more vigorous shrub. Renewal pruning is often used for shrubs that have become overgrown, leggy, or congested.
- Thinning: Thinning involves selectively removing branches throughout the shrub to reduce density and improve air circulation and light penetration. This type of pruning helps maintain a balanced shape, promote healthy growth, and reduce the risk of disease and pest infestations.
- Heading Back: Heading back pruning involves cutting back the tips of branches to encourage branching and denser growth. This pruning technique is often used to shape shrubs, control their size, or rejuvenate overgrown or leggy growth. However, excessive heading back can result in stubby, unattractive growth, so we use this technique selectively.
- Shearing: Shearing pruning involves trimming the outer foliage of the shrub into a formal shape or hedge using hedge shears or electric trimmers. This technique is commonly used for formal hedges, topiaries, or shrubs with a compact, dense growth habit. Shearing helps maintain a neat, uniform appearance but should be done carefully to avoid damaging the shrub and promoting excessive growth at the surface.
- Selective Pruning: Selective pruning involves removing specific branches or stems to improve the overall structure, shape, or health of the shrub. This type of pruning may target diseased , damaged, or dead branches, as well as crossing or rubbing branches that can cause injury or inhibit growth. Selective pruning helps maintain the natural form and beauty of the shrub while addressing any specific issues.
- Deadheading: Deadheading involves removing spent flowers from the shrub to encourage continued blooming and prevent the formation of seeds. This type of pruning is commonly done on flowering shrubs to prolong the flowering period and promote overall shrub health.
- Thinning Out: Thinning out involves selectively removing a portion of the branches or stems from within the shrub to open up the canopy and reduce density. This technique allows for better air circulation, light penetration, and overall plant health.
- Rejuvenation Pruning: Rejuvenation pruning involves drastic pruning of the entire shrub to the ground level to encourage vigorous regrowth from the base. This technique is used for severely overgrown or neglected shrubs and should be done in late winter or early spring to minimize stress and promote rapid recovery.
Why Should I Hire Taylor Expert Arborists for My Tree Trimming or Shrub Pruning?
Homeowners may think only of tree and shrub pruning as something done to make a their lawn look better and improve curb appeal. While improved appearance is certainly among the upsides, pruning is fundamentally an important tree and shrub health practice. Here are some of the many benefits of hiring a professional tree trimming service like Taylor Expert Arborists to prune your trees and shrubs and keep your landscape attractive and healthy:
Reducing Risk to People, Pets, and Property
Taylor Expert Arborists’ first priority for pruning and trimming services is the detection and removal of diseased, broken, or dead tree branches and limbs that present a danger to surrounding people and structures, especially during severe weather.
In addition to mitigating structural issues with trees, pruning of this type can prevent disease-causing fungi on one part of the tree from penetrating and infecting other areas of your tree.
When dangerous or diseased limbs are removed, it sometimes requires the careful pruning or removal of live branches by a skilled tree expert in order to preserve the tree’s structural integrity and appearance.
Achieving Clearance Requirements
It is important to prune low-hanging tree branches that border walking paths, driveways, and surrounding buildings so that the tree does not interfere with the safe passage of pedestrians and cars. On urban properties, those concerns further extend to ensure the tree limbs and foliage on the homeowner’s property do not impede public sidewalks, power lines, and roadways, or the visibility of traffic lights and street signs.
Avoiding and Treating Disease
Many tree diseases are encouraged by excess moisture. Some circumstances that can cause chronic dampness in the tree’s foliage, stems, or root system — including inadequate sunlight and air flow in the tree’s crown — can be major contributors to its diseased state.
For that reason, pruning overgrowth on a tree (and/or any nearby trees that may be crowding it) can open up its leaf canopy to improve sunlight penetration and air flow. Those improved conditions can help the tree avoid the occurrence of moisture-related pathogens or improve the success of the tree expert’s preventive treatments for those diseases.
Correcting Problems in Young Trees
The careful pruning of structural defects in young trees, known as developmental tree pruning, helps young trees grow up with a strong, attractive, and healthy branch architecture. Thoughtful tree pruning on young trees can reduce the chance of serious problems when they become mature trees— and avoid the need for costly corrective measures like cabling and bracing.
Restorative Pruning
Over time, often as a result of storm damage or structural failure, the crown shape and branch structure of a mature tree can deteriorate. That’s when we advocate “restorative pruning” by a tree expert to bring the tree back to its characteristic form and stimulate healthy, new growth. To reap the rewards, restorative pruning requires advanced pruning techniques applied over multiple pruning cycles. But the renewed splendor and vigor of the best trees can be well worth the effort!
Improving the View
The strategic pruning, trimming, or removal of branches in a tree’s canopy or within a shrub can be performed to give homeowners’ an improved view.
How Do I Get an Estimate for Tree Trimming or Shrub Pruning?
Contact Taylor Expert Arborists at the phone number, email, or the link below to request an estimate. Taylor Expert Arborists always provides free quotes in writing and includes the tree trimming cost and the cost of debris clean up. We have a wide range of shrub pruning and tree trimming equipment and safety equipment to properly perform any pruning or trimming services necessary, and we always take into account accessibility and property preservation when bringing in equipment.
Taylor Expert Arborists always provides its customers with an easy-to-read written contract that protects the homeowner and tree service, spelling out pricing, payment terms, and everything that is included with the work.
I’ve Hired Taylor Expert Arborists, Now What?
So, you’ve made the smart decision to hire Taylor Expert Arborists to perform your tree pruning or trimming services, now how do you prepare for tree pruning services?
- Communicate with Your Neighbors: If the tree pruning may impact neighboring homeowners or if there are shared boundaries, inform your neighbors about the upcoming work. Discuss any concerns they may have and arrange access to their property if necessary.
- Clear the Work Area: Remove any obstacles or obstructions near the tree, such as vehicles, outdoor furniture, or garden decorations. Clearing the area around the tree will give the tree service company ample space to work and maneuver bucket trucks and other equipment safely.
- Be Available for Communication: Ensure that you or another responsible person will be available on your property during the tree trimming process to answer any questions, provide access to the property, and address any unexpected issues that may arise with the tree service company.
- Keep Pets and Children Inside: Keep pets and children indoors or away from the work area during tree trimming and shrub pruning to ensure their safety. Loud noises from chainsaws and heavy equipment can be frightening or dangerous for animals and young children.
- Follow the Safety Guidelines: Follow any safety guidelines or instructions provided by the tree service company to ensure the safety of everyone involved. You must stay clear of the work area! If you want to watch the tree pruning service, you may be required to wear the appropriate safety gear on-site and following any temporary access or traffic control measures.
Taylor Expert Arborists are hard-working tree care experts with years of experience, and we prune and trim trees and shrubs in the safest way possible. We are family-owned and offer residential, commercial, and municipal tree trimming and pruning services, shrub trimming and pruning services, tree removal services, tree maintenance, stump grinding, cabling and bracing services, tree health assessments, tree risk assessments, and emergency services. Taylor Expert Arborists is a member of the New Jersey ISA and the New Jersey Society of Licensed Tree Experts.
Contact Us
We provide FREE consultations to all our clients! Taylor Expert Arborists always provides its customers with an easy-to-read written contract that protects the homeowner and tree service, spelling out pricing, payment terms, and everything that is included with the work.
