Benefits of Tree Trimming and Pruning

In an effort to bring value to our customers, we have decided to start a “tips and tricks” section that will consist of tips that we have found while reading up on the industry.  We will provide exerts from these books that we believe will be beneficial to you. 
The Homeowner’s Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook has been a great source of information for us over the years and believe it will greatly benefit you as well.  One of the key concepts presented in this book is the need for proper tree pruning and trimming.  Below you will read a little bit more about why properly trimming trees can make your outdoor area much more enjoyable. 
 
 
“YOUNG 10-FOOT-TALI Japanese stewartia grows in our front yard. We chose it about seven years ago for its yellow-centered white flowers, yellow to purple fall color and flaking gray, tan, and orangey bark. Trouble was, we couldn't see any of that bark because the tree was branched almost to the ground. We decided to limb it up while it was small, since we expect it to grow about 25 feet tall. We did the work ourselves with hand pruners when the branches were less than 12 inches in diameter.
We also have a shade border with a sugar maple, a red maple, a pin oak, and some
shade-tolerant shrubs and perennials. I had a problem with those trees some years ago however. When I weeded newly planted primulas and barrenworts under the trees, d whack my head on the lowest branches. The trees were not fully mature but they were already big - about 25 feet tall for the 13 year-old sugar maple. For a big tree-pruning job like that, we turned to certified arborists rather than do it ourselves. Over a few winters, they removed some branches and made my shade garden a joy to maintain. The trees are still full and beautiful, but I no longer have to worry about banging my head. Limbing up, also known as raising the crown, frees space for people, other plants and buildings. It can open a distant view and provide more sunlight to plants growing underneath the canopy. It also increases air circulation under the branches.  If you have aged conifers like the white pines I see from my office window, give them a second look.  Sometimes the tops of old conifers shade out lower branches, which then die and break off in storms.  Although birds like to perch on those snagged limbs, you can achieve a more refined look if you remove the low dead growth.”
 
References
O'Sullivan, Penelope, and Karen Bussolini. The Homeowner's Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook: the Essential Guide to Choosing, Planting, and Maintaining Perfect Landscape Plants. Storey Pub., 2007.