Pruning Your Flowering Trees

Pruning hardwood trees usually occurs when the tree is dormant and before new growth begins. The reason this is done is so that one can see the tree's branch structure and know where to make pruning cuts. This and pruning at this time helps the tree have a full growing season in which to close the pruning wounds and reduce the transmission of disease. Yet with spring flowering trees, if pruning occurs in the dormant season, many of the flower buds are lost.

When pruning flowering trees or early spring bloomers like redbud, crabapple, dogwood, and callery pear, each should be pruned immediately after they bloom since their flowers are born on the previous season’s growth. With these trees, pruning right after the bloom period, you still maximize the time available for healing the pruning wounds and avoiding pruning out next year’s incipient flower buds. The rule of thumb for these trees is to prune right after the flower petals fall off the tree.

By pruning your flowering trees, you are assisting it by removing dead, diseased, or broken branches. This in turn reduces the amount of stress on the tree and keeps it growing in a healthy way. Pruning your trees, whether flowering or not, also helps keep the surrounding area safe. Branches that are weak or interfere with things like power lines should be trimmed to avoid possible injury to people or property.

When should you prune? With flowering trees, summer flowering occurs on the new wood produced in the spring, while spring flowering occurs on the wood produced during the summer growth. Pruning for summer flowering plants and trees should take place in the winter or early spring to establish a healthy growing environment for new buds. Pruning for spring flowering plants should take place after the plants have bloomed in early spring. If the tree or shrub is less than two years old, only light pruning is needed.

When pruning, be careful not to over do it. By pruning lightly and annually instead of pruning large amounts at once, you are helping to keep your tree healthy. If your tree is already interfering with utility lines, buildings or other items in the environment, and pruning is a necessity, be cautious about not topping your tree. Topping is the removal of all parts of a tree beyond a certain height. Topping your tree should never be an option. While it seems you are getting rid of the hazard, in truth you are creating a bigger hazard as topping weakens trees. A weakened tree is then more susceptible to breakage during windstorms.

So what can you do to cut back your tree without topping it? Try reduction pruning, which is the process of taking longer branches and reducing them back to lateral branches. Some branches can be removed at their point of origin. Be cautious of excessive thinning of the interior branches as it can lead to growth of upright interior shoots or limb breakage.

If you are still confused about how to prune a flowering tree, consult with an arborist who is knowledgeable about such trees, especially if they are large trees. It is better to be safe than sorry.


Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

Misinformation About Tree Care

When it comes to caring for our trees, many of us rely on information passed down to us from our family or friends. The problem with this is that many times this information can be wrong and many do not find out until it is too late. So what are some common beliefs about trees that aren't true?
COMMON BELIEF #1: Securely stake your new tree when planting it so that it develops stable root system and strong trunk. Staking trees can be necessary at times just to keep them upright and to let them get established when first planted, but professionals have discovered that unstaked trees tend to develop a more extensive root system and better trunk taper than those that are staked. Allowing a small amount of movement can help root and trunk development. Of course, the worst effect of staking is the possibility of trunk damage from the staking wires or ties. Staking materials usually should be removed after one year to avoid "girdling" the tree.
COMMON BELIEF #2: You should wrap your tree trunks to prevent insect entry or sunscald. Generations of people have been wrapping their tree trunks for years, sometimes with kraft paper.  Studies using most common tree wraps have shown that they do not prevent extreme fluctuations in temperature on the bark. In some cases, the temperature extremes are worse. Also, tree wraps have proven quite ineffective in preventing insect entry. In fact, some insects like to burrow under it. If you feel an absolute need to protect your thinbarked trees, such as ash, birch, linden or maple, a loose fitting tree guard in a light-reflective color would be better than a trunk wrap. 
As with tree staking, trunk guards should be inspected periodically to make sure they aren’t restricting the trunk.  Most guards can be removed six to twelve months after the tree is planted.  Always remove wraps that come with a new tree.  It was there to protect the bark during transport.
COMMON BELIEF #3: Pruning trees heavily compensates for the loss of roots. Although pruning the top can reduce the amount of water that evaporates from the leaves, the tree needs a full crown to produce the much-needed food and the plant hormones that induce root growth. The tree will develop a stronger, more extensive root system if it has a fuller crown. Limit pruning at the time of planting to structural training and the removal of damaged branches.
COMMON BELIEF #4: When removing a branch from a tree, the final cut should be flush with the stem to optimize healing. The old practice of pruning tree branches was to cut flush with the tree trunk. When this is done the ability of the tree to stop decay is greatly decreased. Flush-cut pruning cuts into the wood of the trunk cause a wound that can allow decay organisms to infect the main trunk of the tree. The current recommendation is to prune the branch to just outside the collar. Properly pruned branches will have a circular closure around the wound. When the branch is cut too close to the trunk, the closure will be oval or distorted.
COMMON BELIEF #5: After pruning, wounds should be dressed or painted. Research has shown that painting wounds does not prevent wood decay behind the pruning cut and may even increase the amount of wood rot by keeping the environment moist and dark.  It's better to keep the wound open to air and light.  Sometimes pruning paints are applied for cosmetic purposes.  When this is done, they should only be applied in a thin coat.
COMMON BELIEF #6: Certain fast-growing, weak-wooded trees such as silver maple and Siberian elm should be "topped" to make them less hazardous in the landscape. While topping these trees may reduce the potential hazard at first, they will likely be more dangerous in the future. Topping starves a tree by reducing the amount of leaf surface and thereby reducing the tree’s ability to manufacture food for root growth, tree health, and tree vigor. Topping also stimulates growth of twigs below the cuts. Within 2-5 years after topping a tree, it will regain its height but with weaker limbs.
COMMON BELIEF #7: If certain species of trees are pruned early in the spring, they will "bleed," stressing the tree and causing health problems. True, some trees such as maples and birches will "bleed" or lose sap from pruning cuts made early in the spring. This bleeding does not hurt the tree, and the loss of sap is inconsequential. With a few exceptions, most routine pruning can be done anytime of year. The worst time is just as the tree has leafed out in the spring. The best time is when the tree is dormant. To maximize flowering for the following year, prune just after bloom this year.
COMMON BELIEF #8: The root system of a tree is a mirror image of the top. Many people envision a large, branching taproot growing deep into the soil. Actually, taproots are very uncommon in mature trees. If taproots do develop, they usually will be forced into horizontal growth when they encounter hard subsoils beneath the surface. The entire root systems of most trees can be found within three feet of soil. The spread of the root system however, can be very extensive, often extending 2-3 times the spread of the crown.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

Tree Trimming Austin: The Importance of Pruning

Proper tree pruning can help save your trees when the winds pick up. Texas weather can change on a dime and wind storms can be unpredictable. Downed limbs can pose road hazards. They can also be dangerous for people, power lines and property. Keeping your trees pruned will make them more wind resistant, beautiful, and less susceptible to disease.

Having a professional arborist inspect and treat your trees yearly can help you to catch many diseases and fungi that can affect Texas trees. Local arborists are familiar with the signs and symptoms that each of your trees may exhibit. Early detection of such infections and fungi can help to not only save the affected tree, but the other trees in your yard. Some fungi can be spread up to a mile from an infected tree. Protect your own trees as well as those of your neighbors by having that yearly inspection.

Tree trimming in Austin is very important. Due to the conditions of the soil and the climate, it can be rare to have mature native trees. Take care of them! A professional trimmer will help keep the canopy of the tree even and uniform. Many trees have the tendency to grow to one side. This can make for an unattractive and unbalanced canopy. Limbs on one side can become too heavy and snap, making the tree more exposed to certain diseases and fungi.

If you plant your own trees, have them pruned professionally every two to three years. Some may require annual pruning. A professional tree trimmer will look for unhealthy limbs to remove. They will look for insect infestations, fungi, infections and other signs of disease. Do not assume that you can spot these symptoms yourself, as many trees show very slight or undetectable signs of diseases or fungi that they may be harboring and spreading to other trees.

A professional tree trimmer will thin out the top of the tree to allow for maximum air flow. This will help your tree to withstand those wind storms and sudden gusts that are all too familiar in Texas. Pruning will also help your tree to concentrate water and nutrients in the strongest limbs strengthening the overall structure of the tree. If you allow the tree to take its natural course, it will shed limbs that do not produce well on its own. When this happens, the tree will usually have a large wound and splintery gash that will not seal on its own. When a professional trims the branches, they will know which limbs to prune and where on the branch the cut should be made. These types of cuts should heal quickly and protect the tree from diseases.

Deciding to hire a professional for tree trimming Austin trusts is a smart idea. You will protect the strength and beauty of your trees, your property and personal safety, ensure a long healthy life for your trees and protect the other precious natural resources in your neighborhood.

About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading Austin tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas). Central Texas Tree Care offers services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management and fertilization. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

New Tools for Pruning Your Trees

It is best to acquire the best tools you can afford. The better tool will get the job done more adequately requiring less effort on your part. To ensure your tools keep doing their job, keep them in good condition, clean and stored in a dry shed.

Of course, it is important to clean your tools in order to keep them in good condition so they last longer. But more importantly, your tools also should be kept clean to help prevent tree diseases from spreading by using tools that are infected. For precaution, it is a good idea to disinfect your pruning tools after each tree you prune. To disinfect your tools, a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water can be applied. Then follow this by cleaning your tools with soapy water and thoroughly drying them afterwards. Always make sure to they are dry before putting them away to detour rust from developing. Finally, if you're not skilled in the use of tools like chain saws, especially, always put safety first and hire an expert in the tree trimming service.

Recently, a number of useful, innovative pruning tools have come on the market for the homeowner. Here are a few listing their advantages: Rope Saws make it much easier, more convenient, and safer to cut high tree limbs. You simply toss the weight over the selected limb, pull down on the ropes while you keep standing on the ground enabling you to reach the area that needs pruning without climbing or using a ladder. The blade will automatically adjust itself to cut edge down and the sawing action is faster than conventional saws because the blade cuts three sides of the branch at once. The Pole Pruner and Lopper is a versatile pole pruner that you can attach to any standard-thread extension pole. This combination of a 14-inch pruning saw along with a 1-inch lopper is an excellent way to get to higher areas. You can use this extension tool for either cutting technique depending on the width of the branch being pruned. The Folding Pruner can be attached to any universal extension pole for the tasks which involve a long reach. Conveniently, this pruning saw folds up while not in use for safety reasons. It is lightweight yet robust. Lastly on this list of new tools is the Portable Buck Saw that is extremely lightweight and collapsible too, making it a perfect gift for the homeowner, gardener and camper. Each of the tools mentioned above will serve their purpose well.

Remember to use restraint when pruning your newly planted trees. Prune only to remove damaged, broken, or diseased branches. A good rule of thumb is to prune as little as possible. Before tackling any big pruning job on your own, please refer to Central Texas Tree Care for advice, instruction, and helpful tips from the experts.


About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading Austin Texas tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas). Central Texas Tree Care offers services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management and fertilization. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.