Trees need to be trimmed or pruned for a variety of reasons. If you are in the business of growing and tending to fruit trees, proper pruning ensures that your trees supply the most bountiful fruits. Trees that are not trimmed or pruned will accumulate too many dead or diseased branches, and will then have limited space for new limbs to emerge. Further, some species of trees can actually die if not pruned enough. Similarly, trees may need to be trimmed due to other safety circumstances, such as if they are growing too close to electrical wires.
Trees need to be trimmed or pruned for a variety of reasons. If you are in the business of growing and tending to fruit trees, proper pruning ensures that your trees supply the most bountiful fruits. Trees that are not trimmed or pruned will accumulate too many dead or diseased branches, and will then have limited space for new limbs to emerge. Further, some species of trees can actually die if not pruned enough. Similarly, trees may need to be trimmed due to other safety circumstances, such as if they are growing too close to electrical wires.
Lateral Trimming
The most recommended way to trim a tree for any reason is in a lateral way. This is also referred to as a natural method, in which the shoots are cut as close to the main branch as possible. Because when trees are trimmed, there is going to be what is known as a wound where the cut was made, you want to make sure that the area of the wound is as limited as possible. If you leave too big of a stub from the remaining limb that you cut off, the tree will not heal correctly and be prone to infection. So when you are cutting, you need to not only make sure that you make a clean and full cut, but that you come as near the head branch as possible. Also, you want to make sure that you make this cut at an angle of 45 degrees or less.
Tree Topping
Tree topping is marked by taking the trimming to a much more drastic level. In tree topping, a substantial amount of bigger branches and limbs are hacked away without any regard to their placement on the tree or at what angle they are cut. With tree topping, the tree is then left with numerous wounds that are usually highly exposed and prime candidates for diseases and other tree ailments. The tree will most likely become sick under such toppings, and could potentially die. Unfortunately, with tree topping as there as so many exposed sites, trees are more apt to have several new shoots off of a single branch cutting site, and then grow haphazardly so which usually spurs tree owners to then cut them back more, which will send them into a repetitive cycle.
Tree Pruning
When you are specifically trimming your tree to encourage new growth, it is known as tree pruning. This can be a bit different from simply lateral trimming in that you may be removing more than a few branches at a time, but many of the same aspects apply. While lateral trimming is done frequently for a variety of reasons, tree pruning is generally done on an annual basis in regards to the tree's growing patterns. With tree pruning, you want to cut back the dead or dying branches, clearing the way for new growths and harvests. The golden rule is that you will cut off only up to a quarter of the tree in one pruning session.
