Top 5 Spring Pruning Tips for Kansas City Tree Care
Our Certified Arborists Share Their Favorites
Lots of people fancy themselves DIY aficionados. Maybe you’re really handy with power tools. Or perhaps you’re crafty with a sewing machine. Or possibly you have a green thumb that leaves people in awe of your shrubbery and flowers.
Before you perform DIY tree pruning this spring, be sure to check out our tree care tips - and keep Arb Tech’s phone number handy for when you need to tackle a much bigger tree-related task.
Use Proven Tree Care Techniques
The biggest mistake tree owners make is grabbing a chainsaw and going to town. But there are proven techniques for removing branches to help keep the rest of your tree healthy and growing. Certified arborists know these methods, and many others:
Know what size branches you should or shouldn’t remove. If your branch is less than 5 centimeters in diameter, you can probably remove it. Branches between 5 and 10 centimeters in diameter should make you question why you feel you need to. And anything larger than that, you should only remove if you have a truly good reason for doing so, such as limb damage or disease.
Only trim branches with weak and narrow v-shaped angles where they connect to the tree stem. U-shaped angles are strong, and there’s generally no reason to remove those branches.
Before cutting, be sure you can identify the branch collar, which grows from the stem tissue at the bottom base of the branch, and the branch ridge, which is the upper surface, parallel to the branch angle. Always cut outside the branch ridge, angled down and away from the tree’s stem. Don’t cut through the branch collar, even if the limb is dead.
Trim During the Dormant Season
Most tree species should be trimmed or pruned during their dormant season. For many trees, this is during winter or very early spring. Yes, even pine trees technically go dormant!
Pruning can trigger the tree to grow, which is an ideal spring and summer activity. A Kansas or Missouri winter doesn’t provide the environment for healthy growth.
The exception, of course, is if the tree has sustained damage, or poses a threat to property, human, or animal. Then, trimming becomes a necessity, regardless of dormancy.
Avoid Trimming Oak and Elm After March
In Kansas City, oak and elm trees are at risk of contracting incredibly contagious fungal diseases that spell doom for them rather quickly: oak wilt and Dutch elm disease. Any oak or elm species can succumb to these infections, except for certain hybrids which seem to withstand them a little better.
Generally, certain beetle species carry the fungal infection, and they’re drawn to freshly-pruned trees, arriving in as little as 30 minutes from when the tree was injured. These fungal infections also can be spread through tree roots.
With these insects active in the spring, it’s best not to motivate them to action and cause infestations, which are fatal in as little as a couple weeks or up to a couple years.
Consider Crown Raising Over Other Types of Trimming
If you aren’t a certified arborist, you likely do not have the training to properly climb a tree and safely remove a branch from the upper crown. However, crown raising is more likely to be within your skillset.
Crown raising is a tree pruning method that provides clearance underneath your tree, perhaps for pedestrians on a sidewalk, or in your yard to accommodate your lawn mower.
When crown raising, be sure you keep live branches on at least two-thirds of your tree’s height. Removing too many branches from the bottom half could prevent your tree from developing a strong trunk as it ages.
Get Help from a Certified Arborist
As with any complex task, you should turn to an industry professional for help and guidance. You wouldn’t attempt to rebuild your engine without any knowledge of mechanics, nor would you want to rewire or replumb your house!
You also really don’t want to trim trees beyond the basics without truly knowing what you’re doing. Not only can you cause irreparable damage to your tree friend, but you could also seriously injure yourself and others.
Certified arborists are tree care experts with a wide knowledge about pruning, trimming, cabling, grafting, and more. When in doubt, call an arborist!
Find a Tree Arborist Near You, at Arb Tech!
If you’re looking for Kansas City tree care, Arb Tech is nearby and ready to help. Request an appointment through our website, or give us a call at (913) 954-7004 to get on our schedule. Don’t wait for spring; let’s chat today.