GARDENING: Hey! Take care of those trees

Trees take a lifetime to grow so the wrong decisions concerning pruning and tree care could be devastating. Mature trees are often the most valuable thing in a landscape and because they are living entities, poor choices can be irreversibly damaging. When it comes to pruning it is almost be better to do nothing than to do the wrong thing.

Pruning can go bad in a hurry, so do your homework first. Even if you hire a professional it’s a good idea to know about proper pruning. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Forest Service and a world of internet educational and organizational sites will have research based information on pruning. When on the internet, look for .edu sites for research based information.

You can do your own pruning, especially when trees are young. Not because the decision making is any easier but because you can often do it standing on the ground and with a pair of hand pruners or pruning saw. Pruning when a tree is young is the most important pruning you can do because you can select and direct growth for a strong framework that will serve that tree for the rest of it’s life. The importance of pruning (training) young trees is often overlooked.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to train a young tree you may want to seek out a qualified professional. Someone who can help shape, direct and manage that tree as it matures. Here’s is an image to keep in mind with well trained and pruned trees...the fact that a tree has been pruned should not be overtly evident. If it screams out, “I’ve been pruned (or more likely...butchered)!” that’s not a good image.

If trees are properly trained while young, pruning when they are mature will be much easier. As trees age pruning practices slowly shift from training to maintenance. Mature tree pruning should include some of the following objectives.

>> Reduce storm damage.

>> Maintain health.

>> Improve structure and aesthetics.

>> Provide clearance.

>> Reduce shade...easy does it...we’ve got shade tolerant plants.

>> Improve flowering/fruiting.

>> Professionals are a great choice with mature trees because they often have the training, experience, equipment, bonding and knowledge to safely and effectively prune a large, mature tree. When choosing a professional look at some of their recent work...but again you need to know what “proper” looks like. If that professional holds a certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) they are more likely to have the education to understand proper tree pruning.

Avoid making or allowing anyone to make indiscriminate cuts. There needs to be a reason for every cut. Always start with dead, diseased and disfigured wood. Removing live wood can stress a tree so watch how much is removed. Here are some guidelines for safe live wood (and leaves) removal per growing season from a healthy tree.

>> Mature trees - 10 to 15 percent.

>> Medium age trees - up to 20 percent.

>> Young tree - up to 25 percent.

If a tree is stressed, pruning should be kept to a minimum. Leaves are the factories of food production to fuel, feed and grow a tree. Reducing the number of leaves, reduces food and stresses a tree.

Have questions about tree pruning? Contact Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service or send an email to garden. frost@gmail.com.