Tree maintenance is one of the most crucial aspects of tree care. One of the many things you will analyze with tree maintenance is whether your trees need trimming. It can lead to numerous positive side effects, helping your trees live a longer, healthier life. Thankfully, we are here to provide you with whatever assistance you need. In this blog, we will break down tree maintenance tips for how often you should be trimming your trees.
The Negative Effects of Not Trimming Trees
One of the important aspects of tree trimming that we point out on our Tree Trimming page is that “There are liabilities to having trees on your property, and if you do have trees, you are responsible for the safety of the trees and everything around and underneath.” One of the big negative effects of not trimming your trees is the danger that it can cause for property damage or potential injury to another person.
Dead or decaying branches are prone to breaking and falling, especially during storms or high winds. These are the types of branches that need to be trimmed the most. If the weight of a branch is also very heavy, that’s another cause for concern.
Obstructions on properties and damage to power lines are a cause for concern, not just for you but also for the people who work and live around you. Once those branches reach the power lines, you risk the possibility of outages, fires, or even electrocution.
How Tree Trimming Can Help Your Tree’s Health
Now that we’ve talked about the negatives towards property damage and safety hazards, let’s talk about the other big reason for the need to trim, which is preserving the trees’ long-term health. At Bradley Tree, we cherish the health of trees before trimming, pruning, or completely removing them. This is the biggest reason why we want to help you in this process.
By trimming your trees and doing so properly, the risk of diseases and pests goes down significantly. Overgrown trees are an ideal place for invasive insects and diseases to find their way into, and a good trimming will reduce that.
There’s no question that, environmentally, trees can be hampered by the bad weather that makes tree structure last shorter than it should. Bad wind and rainstorms can weaken the branches, and they snap under their weight. Reduced photosynthesis and proper sunlight will also weaken them enough that if they can’t adhere to their normal functions, then it’s another cause of the tree’s weakened state.
How Often Should Trees Be Trimmed and How We Can Help
You absolutely can prevent these circumstances! What it takes is proper inspection and understanding of how often and when trimming should happen.
If you notice that a tree’s branches are dying or damaged (by a lack of leaves, cracks in the bark, or a pest infestation), that’s a sign to trim. Even when they show early signs of this, it’s important to keep in mind and note them for the future.
How often you trim comes down to the age of your trees. Normally, a younger, more newly planted tree should be trimmed every 2-3 years, and then if it’s a much older tree, roughly 3-5 years is best.
Good news! If you need help identifying how old the tree is, we have professional arborists on hand who can do it. They have the tools and knowledge to give you the best possible analysis, and we can’t recommend enough that you reach out to us with any questions or if you require an arborist for inspection. Oftentimes, our customers will come back seasonally and get into a rhythm of knowing when their trees need our services because we aim to educate our customers with all the knowledge they need for their particular trees. If you need a hand, let’s get out and take a look!