
Trimming trees is an essential part of maintaining their health, but how and when you trim a tree is highly critical. Trimming is meant to remove dead or dying branches and limbs to reduce the risk that they might break off and do damage to the surrounding area. It is also an excellent way to promote new growth. Trimming a tree improperly, however, can do more harm than good, so it is always best to hire an expert tree company in South Bend to ensure that it is done correctly. These are the six most common mistakes that people make when they do it themselves.
1. Using Dull Equipment or Tools
Blades can get rusty and dull quickly if they aren’t sharpened regularly. A dull blade can’t cut cleanly, and it will also take a lot more energy and time to trim your trees. The key to tree trimming is having the appropriate tools, properly maintained, so that you aren’t hacking away at the tree and causing damage.
2. Over Pruning
When pruning your tree, it is important to know what needs to be trimmed and what needs to stay. Over pruning your tree or taking away more than you should will damage the tree. The idea is to get rid of dying or dead branches, but not to take out the ones that are alive and thriving. It takes a keen eye to know the difference. And if you don’t have one, you might end up hurting the tree.
3. Flush Cutting
When cutting off a dead limb or branch, you have to know how close to the trunk you can safely sever it. If you get too close, then you can damage the tree, or end up making the tree look uneven. Also, cutting it too close can leave an opening for pests, fungus, and disease to take hold. On the other hand, if you don’t cut enough, you might remove the dead limb but it won’t be enough to help the tree or remove the hazard left by the dying limb or branch.
4. Bad Weather Pruning
Sometimes homeowners see a storm approaching and decide that they have to cut a limb down before it falls for storm damage. It’s not a good idea to trim a tree during inclement weather where you put yourself in harm’s way. That is why it is so important to be proactive when it comes to tree trimming. You don’t want to be in a rush to cut down a limb when a storm is coming.
5. Insufficient Clean-up
Half the hassle of trimming a tree is the clean-up afterward. If you aren’t sure where to put a limb or branch, it can become a tripping hazard or kill the grass underneath while it lays dormant. It is critical that you clean up immediately, or have someone else do it, to avoid a hazard in your yard.
6. Ignoring Safety
Trimming trees is a very dangerous job. An expert tree company in South Bend is specifically trained with strict safety measures in place to ensure not only that the job is done correctly, but also that it is done safely for everyone involved. It doesn’t make much sense to put yourself in harm’s way when you don’t have to.
Tree trimming is critical for the health and aesthetic beauty of your trees. However, it is not something that makes a good DIY project. Our mission at Above and Beyond Tree Services is to keep your trees and landscaping free from hazards and to look for signs of disease, while we make them as beautiful as possible. Contact us to schedule your appointment today.