Trees can be property assets or liabilities: Proper pruning makes a difference!
Trees, when properly pruned and maintained, can be beautiful assets to our properties, but with improper pruning they can become unattractive, if not disfigured; and they can also turn into potentially dangerous liabilities. Alex Shigo, an iconic figure in tree care often called the “Father of Modern Arboriculture”, coined a famous phrase: “Pruning is the best thing you can do for your tree; improper pruning is the worst thing you can do to your tree.” To be done correctly with the best interests for a tree’s health and present and future safety in mind, tree pruning requires extensive knowledge of tree physiology and best practices. This expertise only comes with a deep understanding requiring years of education, training and experience, often qualified with a credential such as ISA’s Certified Arborist. An ISA Certified Arborist is also required to follow a written set of standards set by the American National Standards Institute (also known as ANSI) that ensure that all pruning cuts are made safely following stringent rules and specifications.
How do trees heal and why does it matter?
Trees heal in a different way than people do. Instead of regenerating new growth replacing tissue cut or damaged in an injury, trees seal off injuries and grow around them instead. This process is called compartmentalization, and it is critical to understanding how to make a proper pruning cut. New response growth sealing around a wound is called wound wood, and it grows better in certain locations on a tree. The injured tissue that is compartmentalized, however, never replaces itself. It eventually dies and is subject to attack and rot by decay causing organisms, generally decay fungi and bacteria. If potential wound wood surrounding a cut is damaged or severed, it may never seal properly and adjacent areas may also be subject to decay which can continue to spread, potentially compromising the structural integrity of a branch or even the entire tree. Some tree species compartmentalize better than others, which is another factor that a trained arborist will consider when making a cut. All of this must be taken into account when making a pruning cut to ensure that it successfully heals, and the tree remains healthy and structurally sound.
Proper pruning does have benefits!
Despite the cost of injury, pruning when performed well does have multiple benefits and can promote the health and longevity of a tree. Pruning can aid a young growing tree in attaining proper form and structure which can make it more attractive, stronger and less hazardous as it reaches maturity. On mature trees pruning is often required to mitigate risk and remediate structural issues, reduce weight on heavy or overgrown branches, or remove damaged, dead or diseased wood that could cause failure or even the death of a tree. In some instances, pruning may be desired or even required to obtain clearance from a building or a street. For whatever reason, working with an ISA Certified Arborist can give you peace of mind that your tree is pruned properly under stringent standards that make it more likely to live a long, healthy life.