Keeping your trees healthy takes careful monitoring and care through all seasons. When a tree is fully leafed out, you can check it for disease. When the leaves drop, you can look for branches that are rubbing together. Bring in a professional to trim or prune your trees to promote their long-term health.
Trimming vs. Pruning
It’s important to note the difference between trimming and pruning. Pruning is related to removing diseased branches and adjusting the shape of the tree for healthy growth in the future.
Trimming is about altering the tree so it works better in the environment. It’s a good idea to trim away dead branches or lop off part of a tree that is rubbing against a building, but the results for the tree may lead to imbalance or further damage in the future.
Pay Attention to Weight
If you have a tree with a dead or broken branch, you may choose to try to trim it away yourself. There are quite a few risks to this. A broken branch that is hung up or snagged in the tree can tear away and drop as you work on it. If you’re using a chainsaw, you may not hear it until it’s too late.
A downed tree or large branch can also roll as you trim it down. These rolls can be quite dangerous because remaining branches can tug at clothing and trip you up, making it impossible to get away from the bulk of the rolling trunk or heaviest branch.
Finally, a tree that has lost a large branch in an Oklahoma storm may be badly out of balance. You may notice a bulging in the soil at the roots where the weight of the tree is actually pulling the roots up. In such cases, emergency trimming or removal may be necessary.
Professionals Have the Tools Necessary for Safe Trimming
A chainsaw is a powerful tool and can be a tempting purchase for a homeowner. However, they take a careful eye and quite a bit of strength to use effectively. The chatter of a gas-powered chainsaw in particular can put a lot of strain on your hands and forearms.
Other tools, including ear protection, gloves, and goggles, are key to safe tree trimming. Professionals also have safety harnesses and ladder skills to reduce their risks.
Before the next big storm rolls through your Springfield, MO neighborhood, consider a careful tree trimming or pruning by our experts at The Tree Doctor, and call us today to schedule it. Dead branches can be trimmed away, and the canopy can be checked for signs of disease. You can invest in healthy trees for next year with a quality tree trimming now.
