Pruning is an important form of maintenance for urban trees. Unlike trees in the forest, urban trees need pruning to maintain structural integrity and keep them looking their best. This is because when removed from the forest environment, they tend to grow much differently which can lead to structural issues and storm damage.
Many trees require pruning when limbs interfere with mowing lawns or encroach on buildings or other obstacles; however the rest of the tree’s canopy will also benefit from pruning as well. Structural pruning and training young trees can have a number of benefits that include:
- Less pruning and maintenance in the future
- Lower potential for future storm damage
- Lower potential for insect and disease issues
- Beautiful trees with a higher landscape value
When pruning for structure the main goal is to promote a central leader at the top of the tree with smaller diameter branches spaced well along the main stem. Identifying and correcting other defects that may lead to future problems is also part of proper structural pruning. Pruning must be done regularly and to achieve the best results, should start while a tree is young. Some species of trees will require pruning more often than others but an Arborist with experience will know how often any local species should be pruned.
Ultimately the goal of pruning is to increase the health and aesthetics of a tree while ensuring that it has a strong canopy that can support it into the future while providing benefits to the users of the surrounding landscape.
