You shouldn’t ignore certain tree pruning signs. You may prefer not to wait until the tree is dormant in the winter to address any of these issues. There is always the option to get in touch with an arborist before you start working with the clippers, but at least you’ll know what to search for.
Taking care of trees requires constant care and attention
Large-scale tree maintenance is best performed when the trees are dormant, in the winter or early spring. There are, however, times when your tree may require more urgent care. This is when the risk posed by your tree increases. Pruning it may be necessary to keep it from causing further harm. Check your trees for any of these issues as the leaves begin to fall.
Tree Breakage
If a branch is bending over or only holding on by a splinter, it is in a weakened state and needs to be cut back immediately. Before and after a major storm, it’s important to double-check that nothing appears dangerously unstable.
Diseased/dead limbs
Whether the branch itself has spots or cracks or there are simply no leaves. These are all indicators of a sick limb. In addition to protecting yourself and your property, you can keep the disease from spreading throughout the tree by removing these branches.
Weak Branches
Weak branches aren’t necessarily broken or diseased. Some of the branches on the tree will wither and die if there is too much competition for space among them, as this will prevent them from absorbing sufficient amounts of light and nutrients. These branches are easy to bend and break. Because they will be more likely to break in the future, you need to take care of them as soon as possible.
Branches Near Power Lines
Don’t let the tree in your yard be the cause of the power going out on your street. During a storm, even one broken branch can cause a significant amount of damage if it falls on a live wire or a transformer box. Any work done on trees in the vicinity of a power source must be carried out by a trained professional.
Storm-related damage
All trees eventually succumb to the effects of weather extremes like hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, snow, and ice. A tornado is capable of quickly uprooting even a tree that is in good health. Ice may have a pretty appearance, but it’s not so pretty when it warps branches to the point where they break.
Your trees will be more resilient to damage and storms if you give them regular care. However, before you cut away any broken or splintered branches, you should give them a thorough inspection.
You shouldn’t assume your tree is safe just because it’s in good health
Natural disasters and other mishaps can and do occur. You can only do so much to ensure the safety of your tree. One of these is correct pruning. Consider hiring a professional tree trimmer to do the job for you so that you can put your time and effort to better use.