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Hi there, my name is Neil. I am excited to share my knowledge about tree service with you all. My land is absolutely covered in fruit trees. Before I started providing the trees with regular care, they did not produce much fruit each year. I worked with a tree service professional to see if we could improve their yields across the board. My tree service professional eliminated pests and improved the health of my trees in a short span of time. The trees started producing fruit in abundance after that point. My site will explore the extreme level of care provided to trees by these dedicated professionals.

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Talking About Tree Care Services

Four Pruning Mistakes That Could Actually Be Weakening Your Trees

by Fred Nelson

Pruning trees once a year or so is generally good for them. It removes older branches so younger branches can receive more water and nutrients. It can also help the tree maintain a more ideal shape. However, if you're not going about pruning in the right way, you could actually be damaging your tree. Here's a look at four pruning mistakes that can weaken a tree over time.

Pruning after the buds have set.

It's best to prune most tree species when they are dormant in the winter. During this time, less sap is flowing through the tree's vascular tissues, so it won't "bleed" so much when you cut it. If you wait until too late in the spring, the sap will be flowing, and the tree will lose some water and nutrients with every cut you make. Plus, the tree will have already "wasted" the effort of generating buds on the branches you were going to trim away. Always aim to prune in late winter to early spring. If the buds are already on the tree, you're better off skipping pruning that year – or only pruning away any branches that are obviously dead or damaged.

Cutting too close to the trunk.

In an effort to do the neatest pruning job possible, you might try to cut the branches so they're flush with the trunk. While this surely does generate a neat appearance, it's not the best for the tree. There are a lot of vascular tissues in the first inch or so of the branch. (This area is known as the branch collar.) If you cut about an inch down the branch rather than flush with the trunk, the tree will have an easier time "healing" the cut, so your pruning job will cause less stress overall.

Failing to clean your shears properly.

There are so many diseases that can infect trees. Most are caused by bacteria or fungi which are easily passed from one tree to the next. Even if your tree does not ultimately come down with the illness, it will have to work hard to fight off any pathogens you introduce to it, which may weaken it in the long run. So, sanitize your pruning shears by rinsing them with rubbing alcohol before every use. When pruning multiple trees at once, always sanitize the shears between trees. Let them air dry before using them for best results.

For more information or assistance, contact a tree trimming service near you.

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