If you are looking for tips on caring for your property, you are going to find a lot of mixed advice on the best way to grow strong, healthy trees. Much of the information you will find – especially online – will be contradictory, leaving you confused and frustrated. One of the most common tree care topics is on pruning. People often have their own opinions on what works and what doesn’t, but here are three of the top tree pruning myths.
1. Never prune in the summer.
It’s true that pruning is often recommended to be done when the tree is dormant. However, pruning a tree in the summer will not cause harm. In fact, summer pruning is recommended in certain cases, such as when you want to influence how the tree is growing or to control fruit or additional growths to the tree. You should also note that summer pruning should be avoided when the weather is wet or humid, as this can cause the tree to be a breeding ground for disease or infestation.
2. Topping trees will keep your property safe.
Topping is very dangerous to the health of your tree and can cause splitting and damage to the limbs that are higher and often weaker. Pruning damaged or dead limbs off of a tree is a great preventative step to keeping your property safe during high winds or extreme weather, but topping your trees is unnecessary.
3. All trees should be pruned the same way.
Before you prune a coniferous tree or a deciduous tree the same way, stop and look at the trees. You’ll notice that they do not grow the same way and, therefore, should be pruned differently. The same goes for fruit trees. Trees that produce fruit should be pruned annually to help stimulate the growth. Trees that produce only needles or leaves should be pruned less frequently. So before you prune the trees on your property, look into whether or not the pruning is necessary.
Now that you know all about tree pruning myths, read the top six benefits of tree pruning. If you have a tree that needs to be pruned, but you’re not comfortable with the height of the job, contact us at 952-473-0534. We’re happy to help.
