Young trees need careful attention to help raise them to be durable and mighty once they mature. You might wonder, “Should I trim lower branches on a young tree?” It may seem counterproductive, but this practice encourages canopy lifting and many other benefits that will give you a fuller, healthier tree.
If you need professional tree services in Clinton, MS, call Barone’s Tree Pros. We’ll trim your trees for the best outcome so you don’t have to worry about accidentally ruining your tree. Continue reading for our tree branch trimming advice.
Benefits of Lower Branch Removal on Young Trees
Trees benefit from structural pruning techniques, especially when they’re young. You may be hesitant to lob off branches on your spry trees, but they’ll look gorgeous later. If you ask, “Should I trim lower branches on a young tree?” with pruners in your hands, think about the following benefits.
Determine the Leader
Young trees are prone to developing bad habits and sticking with them. If you want a tree with a single trunk, you can prevent young trees from developing two or three leaders by removing lower branches.
Build Tree Strength
As you remove lower branches from young trees, they can focus on growing their single leading trunk and upper branches. These portions will grow to be larger and stronger since the trees won’t have to extend their energy to weaker, lower branches.
Reduce Defects
If you notice weak branches, branches growing too closely to the ground, or any other growth defects, pruning them off will make them go away. Leaving defects on a young tree will only strengthen them, causing you to end up with a tree with multiple leading trunks, unstable structure due to splits, and other problems. These issues may get worse over time or become increasingly difficult to correct as the tree becomes stronger.
The Best Time for Young Tree Shaping
So, when should you trim lower branches on a young tree? The best time of year to do it is in winter when the tree is dormant because:
- Tree diseases don’t spread as quickly when it’s cold
- Pruning wounds have time to heal before growth starts in the spring
- You can clearly see where to cut due to the lack of leaves
Never trim more than one-quarter of the tree’s canopy at a time. Doing so may cause the tree not to produce enough leaves to encourage steady growth and ultimately hurt the tree.
Leave Tree Trimming to Barone’s Tree Pros
Instead of trying to remember tree pruning guidelines and asking yourself, “Should I trim lower branches on a young tree?” let professional arborists do the work. The certified arborists at Barone’s Tree Pros in Clinton, MS, can trim young trees for you safely to promote healthy growth and prevent them from dying due to trimming too much at once.
Request a free estimate today when you call us at (601) 345-8090 or contact us on our website. Learn more now.