Why Is Tree Pruning Important?

Trees can and will grow fine on their own, but when they are in an urban environment or near a home, it’s important to keep an eye on a tree’s growth and practice pruning when necessary. This is not only a good practice, but it’s also quite necessary in some cases.

The benefits of trimming trees are numerous. For starters, it helps keep everyone around the tree safe from falling branches. It also helps prevent damage to your home or surrounding structures from the same danger. It can also encourage growth in a way that fits the space or pleases your aesthetic.

Here are some more tree trimming benefits.

Safety

One of the benefits of trimming trees is safety. This is not so much a benefit as much as a necessity. When branches or limbs get too long and lanky or if there are dead spots on the tree, there is a greater risk of part of the tree falling at a random moment. This could cause injury if it falls on someone under the tree—or property damage if it falls on a vehicle or window on your home.

It’s also important to have a tree trimmed for safety if it is near power lines. This, however, is a dangerous job and should be left to a professional arborist.

Security

Another tree trimming benefit is that it helps make your home more secure. You may have large limbs hanging over the roof—and that’s an invitation for a crafty burglar to check for unlocked or open windows on the upper floor. Trimming a tree can help prevent these invitations.

Keeping a tree from hanging over your roof also helps abate pests that may also want to get into your home. For example, rats and other creatures often gain entry into a home by climbing trees and getting in from openings on the roof.

Aesthetics

Tree trimming can also enhance the aesthetic quality of your home. A tree can be trained to grow a certain way through pruning, and this can lead it to be a shape or size of your choice. It’s important to consider the structural integrity of the tree when trimming for this reason, however. You don’t want a lopsided tree that’s going to be so heavy on one side that it falls over.

When to prune

Tree pruning should be done in the late fall or winter when the leaves have fallen off the branches and the tree looks dormant. Just like any other living creature, trees can be harmed if one of their limbs is chopped off. Fortunately, they are able to recover from this most of the time, and it’s easier in the winter months when the tree is dormant.

Hire a professional

While it is certainly possible to do your own tree trimming, there are a lot of safety issues and best practices that should be in place to protect both the tree trimmer and the tree itself. For this reason, it’s best to hire a professional when you need to have your tree trimmed. When you need professional tree trimming service, contact Rocky Mountain Tree Service today.