What to Expect During Tree Trimming: Expert Answers to Your Top Questions

Are you thinking about getting your trees trimmed or pruned? Wondering what to expect during tree trimming? While it is a necessary tree care service that helps enhance your property’s curb appeal, improve tree health, and reduce potential risks, professional pruning is often overlooked. Here’s what to expect when you choose Sherlock Tree for your tree care needs.

Key Takeaways:

• Various pruning techniques, such as crown reduction, crown thinning, crown cleaning, crown raising, and structural pruning, are used to achieve different goals.
• After pruning, trees naturally seal pruning cuts through a process called compartmentalization, and healing times vary depending on the size of the cut and the tree’s health.
• Do not use paint or other sealants to help protect pruning cuts from pests and diseases, as these products can trap moisture, creating an environment that encourages fungal growth.
• Regular pruning by professionals can improve your tree’s resilience against storms, reduce the risk of falling branches, and promote healthier growth for years to come.

What Happens During a Tree Trimming Assessment?

Before trimming begins, Sherlock Tree’s Certified Arborist conducts a comprehensive assessment to ensure each tree receives the right care. This assessment helps us address your trees’ immediate and long-term needs while keeping safety and aesthetics in mind.

1. Evaluate Tree Health

The first step in our assessment is a detailed inspection of the tree’s overall health. We closely examine:

• Branch Health: We identify any dead, dying, or damaged branches that a professional should remove to improve tree health and prevent decay or pest infestations.
• Leaf Condition: The condition of a tree’s leaves can reveal signs of underlying health issues, including nutrient deficiencies, pests, or disease.
• Structural Integrity: We check for any structural weaknesses, such as cracks or poor branch attachment points, that could pose a risk of limb breakage.

2. Determine the Right Pruning Techniques

Once we completely understand the tree’s health, we select the most suitable pruning techniques to achieve your goals. Here’s how we make that decision:

• Tree Species and Growth Habits: Different species respond differently to various trimming methods, so we choose techniques that complement the tree’s natural growth pattern.
• Location and Environment: A tree close to buildings, walkways, or power lines will require a pruning technique different from a tree with a dense canopy. We carefully assess the surroundings to choose the most appropriate method.
• Safety and Aesthetics: Our goal is to balance aesthetics with structural integrity. By selectively removing branches, we can create a visually appealing shape while reducing risks posed by weak or crossing limbs.

3. Plan for a Safe Service

Safety for our team and your property is our highest priority on every job. Our assessment includes identifying any potential hazards to ensure we can deliver professional results without risk.

We carefully evaluate nearby structures, fences, power lines, roads, or other landscape features to determine the safest approach. This allows us to plan for safe equipment use and secure access to the tree. By taking these precautions, we minimize disruption and ensure we protect our team and your property throughout the process.

How Is Professional Pruning Done?

We use various pruning techniques to trim trees. The specific technique we use will depend on what your trees need and what your goals are. Here are some proper pruning techniques and when we might use them:

• Crown Reduction: Think of it as trimming the top of a bush. We’ll shorten all primary branches and leaders in the outer canopy back to secondary limbs. This makes the tree shorter or narrower and is often used when a tree is too close to a building or power line.
• Crown Cleaning: We’ll tidy up your tree by removing any dead, dying, damaged, unhealthy, or crossing branches. This type of trimming is important for maintaining the health and appearance of your trees and should be done on a regular basis.
• Crown Raising: This is like giving your tree a little lift. We’ll remove the lower branches to create more space underneath. This is helpful if you want to improve visibility near roads or create more walking space beneath the tree.
• Crown Thinning: Trees in South Florida often develop thick and heavy canopies. We’ll selectively remove branches to reduce the density of the canopy, letting in more light and air. This can help improve the tree’s overall health and reduce the risk of storm damage when hurricanes blow through the area.
• Structural Pruning: Trees often fail in storms not because they’re too big but because their branches aren’t strong enough to handle the wind. With structural pruning, we focus on fixing the weak spots that have branches that are poorly attached, crossing, or overcrowded. We will carefully assess your trees and make strategic cuts to improve their overall strength and resilience.

Will Tree Trimming Damage Other Landscaping?

One common concern we hear is whether tree trimming will impact nearby landscaping. At Sherlock Tree, we take great care to protect your entire property. Our team has the training to use tools and techniques that minimize impact on surrounding plants and landscaping.

Our skilled climbers can work directly in the tree canopy, often avoiding the need for heavy equipment that might disturb your landscaping. When trimming larger branches, we use specialized rigging techniques to carefully lower them to the ground, rather than letting them fall.

In addition, we may use ground protection mats in areas where equipment is necessary to avoid disturbing the soil or damaging nearby flower beds and pathways. Your landscape’s beauty and health are important to us, and we work hard to leave it just as we found it – or even better!

Is Debris Clean-Up Included with Tree Trimming?

Absolutely! At Sherlock Tree, we pride ourselves on leaving your property as clean as – or cleaner than – we found it. After trimming, our team will remove and haul away all branches, leaves, and any other debris. If you have a preference, we can even leave some wood chips or mulch behind for landscaping purposes. You can enjoy a well-maintained yard without the hassle of cleanup.

What to Expect After Tree Trimming: Healing and Aftercare

Pruning cuts are considered open wounds on a tree. When a branch or limb is cut, it exposes the inner tissue of the tree, known as the cambium, creating a vulnerable spot that could invite insects or pathogens.

Fortunately, trees have an incredible natural process called compartmentalization, allowing them to seal off these wounds on their own. Instead of healing in the same way human wounds do, trees isolate damaged areas by forming a barrier of new, healthy tissue around the cut.

This process, referred to as CODIT (Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees), involves the formation of chemical and physical barriers that protect the inner wood and prevent decay from spreading throughout the tree.

Are Pruning Cuts Covered to Prevent Insects and Disease?

Many used to believe that covering pruning cuts with paint or sealant would help protect trees from insects and disease. However, research has shown that these coverings can actually do more harm than good. Applying a sealant or paint can trap moisture at the cut site, creating an environment where fungi and bacteria may thrive.

At Sherlock Tree, we make sure each cut is clean, precise, and strategically placed to support the natural healing process.

How Long Does It Take for a Tree to Heal from Pruning?

Healing times after pruning can vary depending on the type and amount of trimming done. Fortunately, South Florida’s warm climate encourages faster recovery, allowing most trees to begin sealing off pruning cuts within just a few weeks. Minor trims often close up quickly, while larger cuts may take more time.

If you ever have concerns about the health of your tree or notice anything unusual, remember that Sherlock Tree is just a phone call away. Our Certified Arborist is happy to provide expert guidance and support to keep your trees thriving.

How Often Should I Schedule Professional Tree Trimming?

Regular tree trimming improves your tree’s resilience against storms, reduces the risk of falling branches, and promotes healthier growth for years to come. The frequency of tree trimming depends on the tree’s age, location, and overall health, but most trees benefit from professional trimming every 3-5 years.

However, there are certain situations that may require more frequent attention:

• Young trees may need annual trimming to help shape their structure and encourage strong, healthy growth.
• Trees near buildings, power lines, or walkways may require frequent trimming to limit interference and reduce safety hazards.
• Trees showing signs of disease, pests, or excess deadwood may also require more frequent trimming.

Why Choose Sherlock Tree for All Your Tree Trimming Needs

Choosing a tree service company you can trust can be a big decision – one we take seriously! For nearly 50 years, Sherlock Tree has been the trusted expert for tree trimming

in South Florida. Our Certified Arborist and the rest of our skilled team bring decades of experience to ensure your trees receive the highest level of care and attention.

Ready to give your trees the care they deserve? Call Sherlock Tree at 954-788-4000 today for a consultation or to schedule your next tree trimming. We’re here to help keep your trees healthy, safe, and looking great!