Tips & Tricks

Winters in the Tri-Cities can be hit or miss. This year along, we’ve seen temperatures in December ranging from the low 50 degrees to the high teens. In the seasons we have the bitter cold temps couple with snow, you’ll want to understand how these temperatures can affect trees and potential damage from ice.

Ice storms are fairly common events. Severe ice storms can affect trees, but trees can also be remarkably resilient. Healthy trees that have not suffered major structural damage, such as split trunks and broken crowns, may recover with time. In winter, trees are dormant and further injury by insects and disease is less likely than if the injury occurs during the growing season.

Recovery depends on the health of the tree and the extent of the damage; healthy trees with few damaged branches should recover and in time the crown may even appear normal.

Safety First
Be careful when working near or under any damaged trees. Approach and inspect damaged trees only if it is clearly safe to do so. Branches that appear to be well wedged in the crown can fall without warning at any time, resulting in serious injury and damage to property.

Do not go near any tree close to power lines. Pruning of large branches and stems is difficult and hazardous and should only be carried out by persons trained and experienced in such work.

When you’re looking for tree maintenance and tree care in the Tri-Cities, we should be your first choice. We are some of the only certified arborists in town and we are very good at what we do. Let us explain to you why we’re your best bet to take care of your trees.

We love trees. We love taking care of all trees. This includes the trees and other greenery on your property. We can and will prove that we’re the best choice for tree maintenance in Burbank.

Making Proper Pruning Cuts
Pruning cuts should be made just outside the branch collar. The branch collar contains trunk or parent branch tissue and should not be damaged or removed. If a large limb is to be removed, its weight should first be reduced to avoid the possibility of tearing the bark. Make an undercut about 11 to 17 inches from the limb’s point of attachment. Make a second cut from the top, directly above or a few inches farther out on the limb, leaving the 11 to 17 inch stub. Remove the stub by cutting back to the branch collar.

Pruning Types
Specific types of pruning may help maintain a mature tree in a healthy, safe, and attractive condition. Cleaning is the removal of dead, dying, diseased, weakly attached, and low-vigor branches from the crown of a tree. Thinning is selective branch removal to improve structure and to increase light penetration and air movement through the crown. Proper thinning opens the foliage of a tree, reduces weight on heavy limbs, and helps retain the tree’s natural shape.

Raising removes the lower branches from a tree to provide clearance for buildings, vehicles, pedestrians, and vistas.

Reduction reduces the size of a tree, often for utility line clearance. Reducing a tree’s height or spread is best accomplished by pruning back the leaders and branches to secondary branches large enough to assume the terminal roles (at least one-third the diameter of the cut stem). Reduction helps maintain the form and structural integrity of the tree, and is a healthy alternative to topping.

How Much Should Be Pruned?
The amount of live tissue that should be removed depends on the tree’s size, species, and age, as well as the pruning objectives. Younger trees tolerate the removal of a higher percentage of living tissue better than mature trees do. Generally, no more than 25% of the crown should be removed at once, and less for mature trees.

Removing even a single, large-diameter limb can result in significant canopy loss and can create a wound that the tree may not be able to close. Care should be taken to achieve pruning objectives while minimizing live branch loss and wound size.

Wound Dressings
Research has shown that dressings do not reduce decay or speed wound closure, and rarely prevent insect or disease infestations. Most experts recommend that wound dressings not be used unless you are pruning an oak in an area where oak wilt is present.

Hiring an Arborist
Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine the type of pruning necessary to improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can also provide the services of a trained crew with the required safety equipment and liability insurance.

Moving Forward With Your Tree Care
We look forward to helping you with all of your tree care and tree trimming needs. When, and if, you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We look forward to hearing from you soon because we are your Burbank tree care specialists.

We love trees. We love taking care of all trees. This includes the trees and other greenery on your property. We can and will prove that we’re the best choice for tree maintenance in Benton City.

Pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure. Although forest trees grow quite well with only nature’s pruning, landscape trees require a higher level of care. Improper pruning can create lasting damage or even shorten the tree’s life. Proper pruning, with an understanding of tree biology, can maintain good tree health and structure while enhancing the aesthetic and economic values of our landscapes.

Reasons for Pruning
Because each cut has the potential to change the growth of the tree, no branch should be removed without a reason. Common reasons for pruning are to remove dead branches, to improve form, and to reduce risk. Trees may also be pruned to increase light and air penetration to the inside of the tree’s crown or to the landscape below. In most cases, mature trees are pruned as corrective or preventive measures.

Routine thinning does not necessarily improve the health of a tree. Trees produce a dense crown of leaves to manufacture the sugar used as energy for growth and development. Removal of foliage through pruning can reduce growth and stored energy reserves. Heavy pruning can be a significant health stress for the tree.
There are many outside considerations, however, that make it necessary to prune trees. Safety, clearance, and compatibility with other components of a landscape are all major concerns.

When to Prune
Most routine pruning to remove weak, diseased, or dead limbs can be accomplished at any time during the year with little effect on the tree. As a rule, growth and wound closure are maximized if pruning takes place before spring growth.

Heavy pruning of live tissue just after the spring growth flush should be avoided, especially on weak trees. At that time, trees have just expended a great deal of energy to produce foliage and early shoot growth. Removal of a large percentage of foliage at that time can stress the tree.
A few tree diseases, such as oak wilt, can be spread when pruning wounds provide access to pathogens (disease-causing agents). Susceptible trees should not be pruned during active transmission periods.

Moving Forward With Your Tree Care
We look forward to helping you with all of your tree care and tree trimming needs. When, and if, you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We look forward to hearing from you soon because we are your Benton City tree care specialists.