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The Importance of Pruning
Pruning is an essential part of all tree and shrub maintenance! Proper pruning is vital to the health and longevity of your plants and trees. Pruning involves selectively removing parts of the plant to accomplish one or more of the following:
• training young plants
• revitalizing older plants – too much internal growth can
restrict the air circulation and light penetration. Skilled pruning can reduce
wind resistance and pest problems while increasing air circulation and light penetration
•
improving the appearance of the plant
• increasing the health and structure of the
plant
• controlling the size and growth direction of the plant – it is essential to
the plant’s health that heading and thinning are done properly at the buds or branch
collars, and not mid branch (topping)
• creating a unique shape for the plant – such
as bonsai (dwarf), topiaries (three dimensional forms), and espaliers (two dimensional
forms)
preventing property damage and personal injury
• influencing the plant’s ability
to flower or produce fruit
Here at Budget Arbor and Logging we can help you decide what type of pruning is needed for your trees and shrubs.
Pruning Standards
With the American National Standard for pruning, ANSI A300, specifications are interpreted based on the development process approved by the American Standards Institute. The A300 standard has been drafted to address pruning specifications across all geographic areas. The following information is designed to help you understand exactly what will be accomplished in a pruning operation.
Pruning Objectives
- Hazard Reduction Pruning (HRP) — Is recommended when the primary objective is to reduce the danger to a specific target caused by visibly defined hazards in a tree. For example, HRP may be the primary objective if a tree has many dead limbs over a park bench.
- Maintenance Pruning (MP) — Is recommended when the primary objective is to maintain or improve tree health and structure, and includes hazard reduction pruning. An example here might be to perform an MP operation on a front yard tree.
Hazard reduction pruning and maintenance pruning should consist of one or more of the pruning types noted below:
- Crown cleaning — The selective removal of one or more of the following items: dead, dying or diseased branches, weak branches and watersprouts
- Crown thinning — The selective removal of branches to increase light penetration, air movement and to reduce weight
- Crown raising — The removal of the lower branches to provide clearance
- Crown reduction or shaping — Decrease the height and/or spread of a tree. Consideration should be given to the ability of the species to sustain this type of pruning
- Vista pruning — The selective thinning of framework limbs or specific areas of the crown to allow a view of an object from predetermined spot
- Crown restoration — Should improve the structure, form and appearance of trees which have been severely headed, vandalized or storm damaged.
Feel free to contact us for more information on pruning practices and how we can help you with your pruning needs.