Winter is an excellent time to prune trees.Since there is a limited amount of outdoor work for us right now, it is a good time to give attention to one of the major components of our landscape - shade trees. Let’s take a look at what we need to do to protect our investment in trees. When trees are placed in the proper location and are maintained, they provide huge benefits for property owners. Trees do a number of things for us:

• increase property values,
• reduce energy costs by reducing wind and providing shade
• provide a better environment for living
• supply a better habitat for wildlife
• improve the beauty of our surroundings

This is only true when trees are in good safe condition. Developing the basic scaffold branching and other key structural items is important when trees are at a young age. If large shade trees are not maintained or are butchered by “topping”, they can become a major liability causing property damage and high costs of removal.

Thinning maintains the natural and healthy shape of the tree.

“ Topping” a shade tree causes suckers to develop and is not natural.

Two of the photos included here show examples of properly and poorly pruned shade trees. The tree with the open branching has been thinned-out and allows the wind to blow through the tree without damage. It provides filtered sunlight through the canopy for plants that are growing nearby while providing a great environment for people. The photo of the tree that has been “topped” has excessive suckers and many dead “stubs” that will provide entry points for insects and decay with the eventual destruction of the tree.

Cutting branches too far from the trunk, can cause problems.

When younger trees are pruned, remove lower branches that will interfere with movement around the tree. Remember lower branches should be removed when the branches are small. These branches do not gain in elevation from the ground as the tree grows, and must be removed. Never leave any stubs as shown in the tree in figure 3. Again, these stubs die and become entry points for disease and decay.

The dormant season, like we are in now, is a good time to prune your shade trees preparing them for growth in the spring in all the right places. Pruning smaller trees can be done by the homeowner when basic guidelines are followed. Larger trees will require a certified arborist.

For more on the basics of pruning and info on proper pruning of shade trees go to http://extension.missouri.edu/p/g6866 or https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000595_Rep617.pdf

MVG - Growing Sustainably Since 1984