Tree Trimming

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You don't have to be Paul Bunyan to know how to handle trees. If you've got the right equipment like a good ladder, a sharp saw and common safety sense, you will be able to keep your trees healthy and beautiful with these tree trimming trips.

1. Know your trees. The most basic fact of tree trimming needs to be clearly stated. Knowing the type of trees you're working with before doing anything is essential. If you trim your Japanese maple like you treat your crepe myrtle, you're going to end up with a very strange looking tree.

2. Avoid topping your tree. The only times trees need topping are when the tree may grow into a power line or other utility lines. If you top trees for aesthetics, you'll actually weaken the tree which can actually become a hazard and will look bad eventually, forcing you to cut it down. …show more content…

Never trim more than 30% off the healthy portion of a tree. Feel free to trim a tree's outside branches, but don't lop off too much. Cutting away more than a third of the tree's volume may damage the tree. However if the branch is diseased, rotting or dead, definitely cut it all the way off.

4. Trim only when the tree is not actively growing. The best time for tree trimming is during the middle of the winter, when the tree is completely dormant. Avoid trimming when the tree is actively putting out shoots, and especially when the tree has its complete foliage. Not only is trimming trees with no leaves safer and easier for you, it's safer and easier for the tree as well. The only exception to this rule involves dead or diseased branches. If the branch is dead, remove it at any time.

5. Cut branches close to the trunk, but avoid cutting the trunk or branch collar. Each branch is surrounded by a "branch collar" at its base. This collar forms a protective boundary against fungi. Always cut branches outside of their branch collars to prevent

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