At Ron’s Tree Service, we get a lot of questions about tree trimming. Most of them center around when trees should be trimmed, how often should someone have their trees trimmed, and what happens if you trim a tree too often or too infrequently.
Contact Ron’s Tree Service today for help with spring tree trimming.
How Often Should I Have My Trees Trimmed?
The certified arborist at Ron's Tree Service can help you determine how often an individual tree should be trimmed. It really depends in every case, but, here are some general guidelines to go by:
- Most mature trees of any variety can be trimmed every 3-5 years.
- Most younger trees should be trimmed every 2-3 years.
- Fruit trees can be pruned every year to help produce better quality and larger fruit.
- Evergreen trees can go many years without needing a single cut.
Should Trees Be Trimmed Every Year?
As we noted above, most trees can be pruned between every 1-5 years depending on the type. While your trees may not need to be trimmed every year, it is important to check them over or have them looked at to determine if they need to be trimmed that year or not!
What Happens If You Prune A Tree Too Much?
Over-pruning will reduce the amount of leaves available to make food for the tree. If you prune a tree too much, the tree can be weakened which allows pests and diseases to get a foothold.
Over-pruning can also make the tree more susceptible to wind damage, and poorly made cuts can be vectors by which disease and pests can enter the tree.
Does Trimming A Tree Help It Grow?
Proper tree trimming can help a tree's roots grow stronger, which results in a healthier tree. Trimming a tree can help new branches grow as well.
When Should Trees Be Trimmed?
The best time to trim trees is typically late winter or spring. You can trim trees in the spring, summer, and fall as needed, but you'll get the best results in late winter or spring.
Trimming your tree in late winter or spring ensures the tree doesn't waste stored energy making leaves on branches you'll just trim later anyway.
When Should You Not Trim Trees?
Our goal is to never trim more than 30% of live tissue from a tree. Removing more than that can be damaging to the tree and result in disease or pest infestation. If a tree has had around 30% of it's foliage removed either by trimming or by storm damage in a year, you shouldn't trim that tree any further.
It's also damaging to trim a tree immediately after the leaves have all sprouted. The tree has put a lot of energy into growing those leaves, which are power plants, and expects to receive energy in return all year long to store in its roots. Trimming the tree then can severely reduce the energy the tree can store over winter.
Do Branches Grow Back After Pruning?
If branches are pruned properly, the branches won't grow back. They will grow a callous over the cut, which you may have seen on many trees, to protect from infection of disease or pests. But, if the tree is pruned improperly, brancesh can grow back.
For more tips, contact Ron's Tree Service today.