Tree Maintenance Important
There are generally three reasons why trees are trimmed:
aesthetics, health and safety. Sometimes trees uproot without
warning, but in this case, there is a distress signal saying it is
going to topple over. We all know that mature trees are an
important property asset, beauty, shade, and value and it is
important to keep an eye on trees to avoid shouting out the
logger terminology of “timber!”
Trees should be inspected during the spring and fall and always
after a storm. Move around the tree(s) and look at your beauties
from top to bottom, looking for changes in branches, roots, bark
and foliage. Do you see any peeling bark, splitting or cuts in
the tree limbs, brown wood, brown leaves? Any of these could
be signs for a sick tree that can uproot.
Dead or broken branches can fall at any time and in certain
cases trees become so big and unwieldy they threaten the
safety of your home. Trees need to be trimmed to prevent
catastrophes. Sometimes an infected or diseased tree can be
saved by strategically pruning away the affected branches and
limbs. Thinning the crown of a tree will improve airflow which
can be beneficial and will allow light to penetrate. Look for
limbs that are crossing or rubbing together, as they should be
trimmed.
In our area we have two great tree trimmers; Jonny’s Tree &
Landscape, owner Jon Schaffer (928) 830-4977 and Big Bear
Tree Care, owner John Prentice (928) 925-5786.
In talking with Jon and John, they both agreed that it is almost
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always best to trim or prune a tree during the dormant season.
“Trimming and/or pruning a tree is not always a DIY job”
said Jon Schaffer. “There is a science and education behind
trimming a tree to add to the longevity and overall health.”
In talking with these very educated men, tree trimming is almost
like calculus; lateral branches need to be as evenly spaced as
possible, watch for branches that cross over one another, never
remove more than one-quarter of the living crown area and
maintain at least 2/3’s of a tree’s height in live branches and the
diameter and lateral techniques continued and I found myself
taking advanced statistics on tree trimming.
Leaning trees, (a little leaning is normal as not all trees grow
straight) is a sign of weight distribution issues or severe root
issues and an arborist should be called in immediately to see
if the tree can be saved. If you see heaving soil and exposed
roots there is a problem that needs immediate attention. A tree
trimmer will more than likely prune the branches to dispense
and spread out the weight and probably brace the tree with
stakes and cable lines to realign the tree.
Trees should only have one trunk. Multiple trunk trees have
extremely weak areas at these trunk points and they are more
than likely to split and crack distribute. Again, an arborist can
stabilize the tree if there are trunk cracks to extend the life of the
tree, but the existing damage cannot be cured.
Construction is also tough on trees. Doing any type of digging
near trees will more than likely put the tree into stress. It is
important to know the type of root feeder system your trees
have; shallow or deep or does the root system expand and run
out wide? Any damage to a trees root system will starve the
tree of nutrients and create stability issues. Always be cautious
of any type of construction equipment around trees. Any bark
scraping will open the tree to disease and infestation will create
health issues. During construction it is best to set a barricade
around your trees. An 8 inch diameter tree will need a barricade
of an 8 foot radius.
Stress in a tree can show up immediately or take years to
develop. Watch for damaged bark, small foliage during the
new growing season or even no foliage at all is a danger sign.
If you see mushrooms or ants at the base of a tree that is a sign
there is possible decay and root rot.
If you see any of these signs when walking aro [