Learning to care for your trees can be a lot of work. With mulching, watering, pruning, trimming, and fertilizing, it can be a challenge to know what to do, when to do it, and how much is too much. Tree pruning and trimming can be especially confusing, since non-professionals are likely to use the words interchangeably.
Tree Pruning vs. Tree Trimming
Although tree pruning and trimming both refer to removing some branches from your tree, the two actions have very different purposes.
- Tree pruning is all about tree health. Having your trees pruned by a professional arborist can help you protect your trees’ future. Dead, diseased, and damaged branches can negatively affect your trees, so regularly pruning them can encourage tree growth and improve overall health.
- Tree trimming, on the other hand, focuses more on the environment around the tree rather than the health of the tree itself. Instead of carefully removing individual damaged branches, tree trimming might reshape the silhouette of the tree, cutting back perfectly healthy branches for a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing silhouette. Tree trimming can also have a practical purpose, coming to the rescue when trees grow too close to power lines, roofs, or other structures.
Which Do You Need?
Determining when you need tree pruning vs. trimming may feel like a challenge, but you can learn to assess your trees yourself by carefully inspecting the branches.
- Is the tree encroaching on your roof or power lines? It’s time for tree trimming.
- Do you see dead branches during the tree’s growing season? Wait until the tree becomes dormant and schedule a tree pruning appointment with an arborist.
If you aren’t sure which you need, give us a call at Holland’s Tree Service. As your trusted local arborist, we can help you make an informed choice about how to care for your trees in the best possible way.