One of the main explanations for improper tree care is simply lack of basic tree knowledge. If you don’t understand how trees “work,” how they grow or function, you’re more apt to make mistakes. Those could range from planting in the wrong spot to trimming in the wrong way. Knowing just a little of the nuts-and-bolts of arboreal growth patterns and form can really help you better care for the trees on your property. And it’ll shed light on how professional arborists (the best resource for responsible tree care) go about their business!
Growing Patterns of Trees
Trees take their shape through the repetition, season after season and year after year, of basic growth patterns. These patterns come countered against the inevitable influence of injury, damage, and individual branch death. That interplay helps determine the overall form and shape of the tree.
Generally speaking, younger trees show a more pyramidal or conical growth form. That spire-like form, which results from a strongly dominant central stem, persists into maturity for many conifers such as firs and spruces. Many hardwoods, in contrast, lose the pyramidal form of youth and become more rounded or dome-like with age. This comes as lateral, lower-order branches become roughly as dominant as the central leader.
Trees shape themselves via hormonal controls. A lot of the growth form has to do with maximizing leaf exposure to sunlight, which powers photosynthesis. Stems that aren’t producing enough energy tend to decline and die. This self-pruning or self-thinning helps a tree operate most efficiently. In drier settings or climates, trees may also alter their growth form to reduce sun exposure and water loss. Similarly, a tree crowded by neighbors is more likely to grow narrow and tall. One out in the open may produce larger lateral branches and a broader crown. Keeping these fundamentals in mind helps you prune more judiciously.
Pruning With Tree Growth Patterns in Mind
Smart pruning allows you to influence the shape and health of your tree, maximize efficient growth, and minimize injury. Cut branches back to an appropriate point: often to a side branch at least one-third thicker than the wood you’re removing. Cutting central branch tips produces a bushier form by reducing or removing apical dominance. If thinning the crown is your goal, though, cut back secondary side branches and allow longer limbs to maintain their dominance.
Take care not to remove too much of the tree’s crown. If you eliminate too many branches, there may not be enough remaining foliage to effectively power the tree. Even if it doesn’t actually die from this excessive pruning, it may weaken and be more vulnerable to disease or infestation.
A Little Knowledge Goes a Long Way
Caring for trees effectively means considering how they grow and where they’re situated. This speaks to the value of having professionally trained arbor-care specialists implement pruning and other tree work. Besides having the right tools and know-how, a top-level arborist brings comprehensive knowledge of tree growth to the table. When you need tree trimming services in Prescott Valley, AZ, contact A and C.