What are the different types of pruning? Why is it important to prune trees? When should trees be pruned back?

We all enjoy a beautiful garden full of budding trees, gorgeous foliage, and the smell of lush vegetation and fresh air. Caring correctly for your plants and trees can make your outdoor areas all the sweeter, while a lack of care can lead to mess, disease and even an unsafe space. 

Here we will take a look at one of the key types of tree care – pruning. Once you know when and how to correctly prune your trees, or get them pruned, you will be well on your way to a healthy and well-maintained garden.

What are the different types of pruning?

There are many different ways that you can approach pruning and a variety of cuts that you can elect to use. The key is to know what it is that you are trying to achieve with your cut before you make it, and go steadily as you try to accomplish it. The main types of pruning are:

• Dead pruning – when your tree has areas that are dead or dying, the best way to save the rest of the tree is to cut it off. Dead pruning is used to make the tree look and feel better, but also to prevent possible danger from dead branches falling on their own.
• Crown thinning – used to, as it sounds, literally thin out the crown of the tree and therefore allow more light to permeate, this reduces the number of branches on the tree. Having fewer branches means that those remaining get more of what they need to flourish and look great.
• Crown lifting – branches lower to the floor are removed, raising the height of the main body of the tree and again improving its aesthetic as well as for more serious reasons. These low branches can often be dangerous to people on foot or taking transport, and should be removed when the tree is young.
• Crown reduction – used to decrease the height of the tree overall, this involves cutting the top branches instead of those lower down to let them grow and flourish.
• Pollarding – this is where the top branches are removed and the tree is encouraged to grow dense foliage, keeping trees at a uniform height and looking smart.

Whether you are pruning for presentation or health, the method that you use will have hugely varied results. If you aren’t sure what to go for, consider asking a professional from a highly qualified firm like Lakeside Trees and Stumps for advice and a quote.

Taking the wrong action can cause irreparable harm to your trees, so make sure that you take care and ask the experts if you are in any doubt.

Why is it important to prune trees?

There are a great many reasons to prune your trees, some of which are pretty obvious and have been mentioned above, and some that may be a little more unexpected. Here are some of the top reasons why you should make pruning your plants a priority:

• Health – as stated, cutting off dead and dying parts of the tree can be the only way to keep up the health of the entire plant.
• New life – pruning is a great way to encourage new growth. Think of it like giving your hair a trim when you are growing it out, you will get more length with a regular cut than if you leave it for ages.
• Shape – whether you are carefully cultivating the most beautiful and creative shapes or simply like your trees to look smart and tree-like, pruning is the way to achieve this.
• Size – you may be restricted on size because of your location, or simply preferences, and pruning the tree and even the roots can be the way to keep your plants at the correct size.
• Light – crown thinning and pruning can let more light pass through. This is not only good for the branches of the tree but also can brighten and lighten your garden too.
• Safety – one of the most important reasons to prune your trees is for the safety of yourself and others. Dead branches can fall and hurt someone. Your tree could topple onto power lines, cause damage to your neighbours, and so much more if not properly cared for, so don’t take the risk.

For all these and so many other reasons, it is so important to prune your trees yourself or hire the right company to do it for you.

When should trees be pruned back?

When you should prune trees depends on why you are doing it and what you hope to achieve. If you are pruning to get rid of dead and dying material, it should be done as soon as you notice that something is wrong. Leaving these kinds of branches where they are risks further harm to the tree and also the danger of falling branches to people.

If you are pruning for more aesthetic reasons, the time of year will alter based on the kind of plant that you have. Generally, winter can be a good time to choose as the tree is dormant and so will take less harm from the process of pruning than it might in the full growth of spring.

You should avoid pruning in the spring for this reason. A great deal of energy is being used for new offshoots, buds, and foliage. If you cut into it then it can stress out the tree and cause longer-term issues.

In general, trees should be pruned when needed, but not in spring unless there is a danger to the tree or others from dead and dying branches. Once again, consult the experts for further tips and advice, or to get your pruning taken care of professionally and perfectly.

Final thoughts 

Pruning your trees is absolutely essential to maintain the health and care of your garden. You can do it yourself in the winter months, keeping on top of any dead branches all year round, but you must be careful not to cause more harm than good.

For the best results, you may wish to check out one of the excellent arborist companies like Lakeside trees and stumps who use all of their combined knowledge and experience to do the best job for your trees.