Though most of us love big sprawling trees, they’re not always a good thing to have. In fact, sometimes a tree can grow too large in your yard, causing a viewing obstruction or even a safety hazard. In order to keep your tree alive and healthy as well as keep it within a good height range, it’s important to practice tree trimming once a year or even sometimes throughout the year. Generally speaking, you’ll want to hire a tree trimming and cutting service, such as Advance Tree Services as knowledge of safety measures and large equipment is sometimes needed, making the job best suited for experienced individuals. You may have already heard of some the most popular and widely used tree trimming techniques, such as crown lifting. Below you’ll find some more information on the technique, as well as a few reasons why you should trim your tree and a quick look at other techniques available.
Why should you trim your tree
There are several reasons why it is important to maintain a trimmed tree in the backyard of your home throughout the year. Some of the more important and popular reasons include your safety, the health of the tree and general aesthetics. First, your safety is always a number one priority. When trimming a tree, you’re able to rid it of broken or dead branches that pose a concern due to their high likelihood of falling down. Other safety concerns include branches situated too close to power lines or those that rest in such a way that they crowd streets, causing not only an eyesore, but a driving hazard as well.
Sometimes, a tree may also be in bad health, causing you to think that you need to destroy the entire tree. Luckily, this isn’t always the case and some situations allow you to strategically trim the diseased branches and limbs, therefore saving the rest of the tree. For those healthy trees that just need a facelift, trimming is a great way to do just that. With trimming you’re able to keep both the shape and desired height of your tree, allowing you to enjoy it consistently.
Crown lifting
One of the most popular tree trimming techniques available, crown lifting involves adding and increasing the clearance level between the lower branches of a tree and the ground below it. This technique allows you to choose a height in which you can cleanly walk underneath, to improve views into the rest of your yard, to clear power lines or to allow for more light to pass through and around the selected tree.
Other tree trimming techniques
Though most choose crown lifting as their trimming technique, there are other popular ways to trim a tree. These include a combination of three cuts (a notch cut, relief cut and final cut) that are used on large branches and the techniques of topping and thinning. When topping, you’re essentially cutting back the very top branches of the tree, decreasing its height in the process. When thinning, you’ll find yourself cutting back random branches throughout the width and height of the tree, making it thinner in the process.
Tree trimming is a natural part of a tree’s life and in many cases increases the value and the health of the tree. Though there are several different methods available, only a few are both quick and effective, offering great results. While some choose to only trim a small amount, oftentimes larger amounts of branches and limbs need to be accessed, at least during the first trim. Crown lifting and the other techniques mentioned above achieve just that.