Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc. has experienced and knowledgeable Certified Arborists on staff to inspect and evaluate your trees, address your concerns and suggest the proper pruning technique that is applicable to the age and species of your trees. Contact KTS today to set up an appointment with one of our Certified Arborists.
SUCCESSFUL PRUNING PRACTICES
Selective Pruning Principles from the International Society of Arboriculture by G. M. Moore
- “No intervention should contribute to making the condition of the tree worse in the medium to long-term.”
“Topping” is still the number one offense to a tree that occurs around the world. There are many alternatives based on the clients concerns keeping the best interest of the tree in the forefront.
- “Trees are living organisms and all arboricultural management practices should accord with basic biological principles. Any pruning activity should minimize the area of an open wound and capitalize upon the tree’s natural mechanisms of wound closure and wound sealing. A careless cut into a collar or lack of attention to the plane of the branch bark ridge can lead to massive columns of decay.”
Many times we see the decline of a mature tree due to “flush cuts” inflicted years before or the lack of attention to the plane of the branch bark ridge. A flush cut is when the limb is removed flush against the trunk, leaving no collar. These cuts do not heal properly and therefore can leave the tree prone to insects, disease and a structurally compromised tree in the future. Mature trees are particularly sensitive to poor pruning practices.
A quote from Dr. Alex Shigo, a legendary leader in tree biology wrote: “As human beings get older, they often become increasingly intolerant of fools = old trees are the same!”
- When storms hit, “the importance of the principles relating to Static and Dynamic Structures comes into play with previous pruning techniques. The removal of any part of a living thing elicits a response from the organism. Removal of parts of the canopy alters the physics of the crown branching structure. Such alterations can leave other parts of the canopy subject to significant forces during wind and storm events. This has profound implication for practices such as Crown thinning, Weight/Load reduction and Topping of canopies.”
Although our philosophy continues to be in the interest of the trees and education, the urban environment produces challenges when trying to strictly adhere to the principles of pruning practices. The arboricultural industry is aware that the numerous principals are to provide a framework for professionalism. When trees are causing damage to roofs or infringing onto neighbor’s properties/structures, our Certified Arborists are aware of future consequences and provide a pruning proposal that will be acceptable to both the client and the tree.