Working with precision
Pruning at a Glance
There is much more to pruning than arbitrarily cutting branches. An arborist knows the science behind how trees respond and how best to care for them. Our certified arborists have been educated in proper pruning methods in the classroom and in the field with extensive experience in pruning thousands of trees. We can help you determine what kind of pruning might be best for your tree.
The dos and don'ts
Our Pruning Methods
We can help you determine what kind of pruning might be best for your tree. See some of these services and methods here.
Methods we DO use
Our pruning methods include:
- Pruning from the ground to raise canopies for height clearance.
- Pruning aloft with climbing ropes, ascenders, and safety equipment.
- Structural pruning, which helps trees' long-term structural safety, longevity, and viability.
- Deadwood and broken limb removal.
- Thinning to improve the aesthetic, allow light penetration, and improve visibility.
- Pruning for fruit production.
- Executing proper cuts at the branch collar, which allows the tree to heal.
Methods we DON’T use
Pruning methods we don’t use include:
- Excessively thinning more than 25% of the canopy.
- "Topping" trees by arbitrarily reducing the height, which is the worst thing you can do to a tree. For more information please see the ISA article, "Why Topping Hurts Trees."
- "Lions-tailing," which involves over-pruning the interior structure of the tree, leading to tip heavy limbs and, ultimately, branch failure.
- "Flush cutting" by cutting branches flush with the trunk, leading to decay.
