Monthly Archives: February 2021

What month is best to trim trees?

tree with a removed branch

What is trimming a tree called?

Spring will be sprung before you realize it, and now is the time to start getting your gardening, tree trimming, and landscaping motivation fired up!  Starting with tree trimming, the winter may have left you some broken branches or you realized when covered in ice or snow, there are some limbs that need to be removed around your house and utility wires. 

Well, it could be decorating for Christmas, but in the context of this article, we’ll go with the tree trimming process that is focused on the aesthetics of your landscaping. Tree trimming is done to maintain the appearance and a desired shape of a tree. When tree trimming isn’t done, the branches will grow in a unyielding fashion in various directions and uneven. That type of growth will leave a tree looking misshapen, scraggly, and unbalanced. This is a matter of being overgrown, which can impact a tree’s health and any bushes, plants, or shrubs adjoining the tree.  When there are extra branches, it keeps light, moisture, and nutrients to the entire tree. 

What is the difference between tree trimming and pruning?

Tree trimming or pruning are both vital to a tree’s beauty and health, and while the terms are used in the same context, they are different. Tree pruning  enhances the beauty and shape of a tree with a primary focus on the tree’s future health.

Tree pruning is a level of protection against diseases and pests while promoting strong growth of the tree. Tree pruning involves removing branches that are dead, appeared to be diseased, or have become loose over the winter. When these are left along, the tree is unable to flourish.        

Can I trim a tree myself?

Caring for the basic needs of a tree is easy. You water them, place mulch around them, and fertilize as needed. When it comes to tree trimming though, even the lightweight lower branches, it can be a hit or miss if you’re doing it right. To get that eye level  tree canopy, you need to proceed with caution and these tips: 

  • Make sure your tree trimming equipment and tree pruning equipment is clean and sharp.
  • Spot the area that you plan to cut, making that cut just beyond the branch collar so that you don’t leave a stub or cut the collar.  
  • A skinny branch that is under one inch in diameter, cut at a 45-60 degree angle to the ridge.
  • A thicker branch cut 10 to 15 inches up from the branch collar, and halfway into the branch bottom. Then moving a few inches up, cut the top of the branch and let it fall. 

You won’t necessarily kill the tree if you make a bad or wrong cut. Don’t take too much of the tree to create a canopy though, the recommended amount is twenty-five percent. Any more than that, the tree will become weaker and susceptible to stress. 

Is there a bad time to trim trees?

For tree trimming, no there isn’t a bad time to remove damaged, dead, or diseased branches. When it comes to tree pruning, you want to do this during dormancy which is mid-winter. This will encourage any new growth when the warm weather arrives, and it is easier because the leaves have fell. 

Will a tree die if you cut branches?

When a tree branch is cut, a callous tissues forms on the tree, akin to a scar. This provides a cover for the wounds that keeps decay and disease away. That scar will be there forever, but with proper pruning, the tree will live and keep growing. 

If you’re not careful, over pruning will reduce a tree’s foliage, minimizing where it gets its food and nutrition that helps the rest of the tree live and grow. It also allows disease and pest to invade the tree if the tree trimming or tree pruning is done incorrectly. 

pruning a tree

Who’s Tree Is It Anyway? 

Almost every homeowner will have this battle with a neighbor at some point.  A tree is planted close to the property line, maybe even on the property line. So, when branches are getting to be a nuisance, or the flowers, fruits of the tree are becoming a nuisance, when it comes to tree trimming who is responsible? If your neighbor doesn’t say anything, don’t worry about it. However, if they come to you expressing concern that their animal, children, vehicle, or home are in danger of the overhanging branches or limbs, and the tree itself is on your property, in most states, it is the common law that rules on this matter. It imposes the responsibility upon a tree owner to do any tree trimming or tree pruning of overhanging branches and limbs over the boundary line of their property and the neighbors. Call (817) 717-7737 today for your tree trimming and pruning needs in Fort Worth, TX.