Tree Maintenance

It’s the end of February which means that Spring is just around the corner.  Hopefully… We’re still getting hammered with cold temperatures and snow. Here in the Tri-Cities, Springtime is synonymous with “blowing wind”. If you have tall trees on or around your property, you will want to be mindful of how to properly thin your trees to keep them safe in blustery conditions.

Trees are trimmed and thinned in numerous areas because tree owners believe this is what should be done to trees, or they like the appearance of a thinned crown, or it’s a normal method of trimming in the region. Parts of the Tri-Cities where thinning is rarely practiced do not appear to experience more storm-related tree damage than regions where thinning is common.

Thinning is conducted on large or small trees for a number of other reasons. Although entire-tree thinning can be useful, structural pruning should be considered before the entire crown is thinned. In fact, structural pruning is probably the best way to thin. A strategic approach would be to structurally prune to reduce defects, then thin to shape and balance to the desired crown aesthetics if maximum pruning dose has not been exceeded. Other than to avoid storm damage, entire-tree thinning of landscape trees is mostly an aesthetic practice that lasts only a short time.

Thinning removes limbs and branches from the end portion of trunks and limbs. Pruning cuts to thin the crown of a large tree typically range in size from one to five inches in diameter. For purposes of limiting damage from wind, cuts smaller than about one inch in diameter appears to be less effective. However, small cuts of one-quarter to one-half inch in diameter can be used to thin small ornamental trees and citrus for aesthetics and other reasons. Proper thinning does not change the overall size of the tree.

We’re Here To Help!
Top Tree LLC is your best choice for any tree removal needs in Kennewick. All of our technicians are highly trained and properly certified. We are happy to answer any questions you have now or in the future.

Top Tree LLC can help you manage any tree hazards you have on your property. We are some of the best arborists in the Tri-Cities and can either give you advice on how to manage your trees or perform any preventative maintenance you need.

Pruning may be required when transplanting trees. The amount of pruning depends on the size of the root ball and plant canopy, health of the plant, and the species transplanted.

Insect-infested stems or those infected with the disease should be removed during transplanting. Any broken stems should be removed as well. Additional pruning of shrubs may be required to balance the leaf area with the reduced size of the root system, but further pruning of deciduous trees should be postponed for at least one year after transplanting. Pruning should be limited to diseased, insect-infested and broken limbs. Pruning Standards: Prune trees according to current pruning standards.

Pruning
A good structure of primary scaffold branches should be established while the tree is young. The scaffold branches provide the framework of the mature tree. Properly trained young trees will develop a strong structure that requires less corrective pruning as they mature.

The goal in training young trees is to establish a strong trunk with sturdy, well-spaced branches. The strength of the branch structure depends on the relative sizes of the branches, the branch angles, and the spacing of the limbs. Naturally, those factors vary with the growth habit of the tree.

We will continue this series over the next few months covering a wide array of topics. Don’t forget, when you’re looking for the best tree maintenance company in the Tri-Cities, we’d love the chance to earn your business.

Top Tree LLC can help you manage any tree hazards you have on your property. We are some of the best arborists in the Tri-Cities and can either give you advice on how to manage your trees or perform any preventative maintenance you need.

Continuing with Best Practices
Mechanical Support. Mechanical support for trees may be necessary when the tree is tall, slow to recover, heavily foliaged, or planted in a sandy site. Most small trees do not require staking or other support and will develop strong trunks faster if allowed to move freely with the wind. For trees that do require mechanical support, staking may be used. Two stakes can be placed opposite of each other and the tree anchored to the stakes with a non abrasive material, such as a soft, broad, fabric strap. Any support provided to a tree should be removed as soon as the tree can stand alone, usually after the first growing season. The sooner the support is removed, the faster the tree will become stronger.

Mechanical Support
The decision on which trees to preserve and which trees to remove should be based on tree evaluation.

1. Positively identify ownership before authorizing tree removal.
2. Have Top Tree LLC in West Richland evaluate tree health and risk for failure before removing.
3. We Use only experienced, certified professionals to remove trees.
4. Evaluate trees at risk for failure using ISA approved methods, which include the assessment of the probability of failure, the size of the part that may fail, and the targets that may be affected should the tree fail.

We will continue this series over the next few months covering a wide array of topics. Don’t forget, when you’re looking for the best tree maintenance company in Kennewick, we’d love the chance to earn your business.