Tag Archives: pruning trees

Summer Landscape Checklist

Maintaining a beautiful and healthy lawn this summer is easy with our summer landscape checklist!  Our team of professionally trained arborists are here to assist you with any chores you have on your summer landscape checklist.  To request an online consultation, click here.

Prune Trees & Shrubs

Pruning-Westchester-Tree-Li

Summertime is the ideal time to prune trees and shrubs!  Removing dead, damaged and diseased branches from your trees helps to prevent insect and decay from infecting your tree.  The thinning of a dense tree canopy increases the tree’s airflow and sunlight, which results in fewer diseases and maladies.  Properly pruning your trees and shrubs can be tricky, if you’ve never done it before; call Westchester Tree Life at (914) 238-0069 to schedule a pruning service.

Landscaping

Landscaping Westchester

Keep your lawn looking it’s best with landscaping services this summer.  Taking the time to map out your yard’s landscape will keep maintenance streamlined and stress-free.  If you are unable to maintain a neatly manicured landscape, schedule landscaping services!

Remove Tree Stumps

Stump Grinding Westchester New York

Tree stumps can be an eyesore.  Westchester Tree Life has the equipment and professional training to safely remove tree stumps!  Removing a tree stump will make all the difference to your landscape!

View all Westchester Tree Life’s Services here.

Summer Pruning

Maintain your Westchester County residence looking its best this summer with summer pruning from Westchester Tree Life!  Our professional arborists can properly and safely prune your tree branches and shrubs.

Summer Pruning Westchester Tree Life

Summer Pruning

Summer Pruning Westchester Tree Life

Summer pruning is ideal when attempting to direct the growth of your tree branches.  Pruning can also reduce the total leaf surface, which overall reduces the amount of food which is created and sent to the roots.

Defective LimbsPruning-Westchester-Tree-Li

Removing defective limbs should be left to professionally-trained arborists, due to the serious danger risks associated with the process.  Westchester Tree has the training and equipment to properly removed defective limbs.  Defective limbs can be defined as dead branches or limbs that hang down too far.

 

 

Winter Tree Preparation

Are your trees ready for winter?  Double-check with Westchester Tree Life’s Winter Tree Preparation guide!  If you are unsure how to prepare your trees for winter, our tree care professionals will be happy to assist you!

Winter Tree Care Westchester County

Let Westchester Tree Life’s tree care professionals help!

Clean & Clear

Hazardous Tree Westchester Tree Life

Hazardous tree? Westchester Tree Life can remove it!

Clean and clear your property of any damaged trees which could become hazardous during a harsh winter storm.  Westchester Tree Life is certified in the professional removal of any dead and dangerous trees.  Clear your yard of any fallen leaves and debris, as well.

Prep Work

Mulching Westchester Tree Life

Prepare your trees for Westchester County’s cold New England winter by completing your annual fertilizing and mulching.  Unsure how to do this?  Let us help!  Call (914) 238-0069.  

Cabling Trees

Cabling-Westchester-Tree-Li

Cabling trees ensures that weak limbs are braced for the weight of winter’s snow and harsh winds.

Water Your Evergreens

Healthy Evergreen Trees Westchester Tree Life

To prepare your beautiful Evergreen trees for Westchester County’s winter, take care to water them!

Inspect Your Trees

Tree Inspection Westchester Tree Life

Lastly, inspect all of your trees for invasive insects or diseases.  Our team of professional arborists can assist you in creating the ideal Plant Health Care Management plan for your trees, if they are infested or diseased.  Call Westchester Tree Life here:  (914) 238-0069

Summer Pruning

Summer pruning is a great task to add to your to-do list!  Pruning trees and shrubs is often necessary to keep these plants healthy and looking their best.  There are a few times during the year when pruning is effective, but for now we will focus on summer pruning.

summer pruningSummer pruning is the ideal way to slow and direct the growth of your trees and shrubs.  During summer, these types of plants rely on leaves to absorb sunlight and make nutrients; pruning reduces the overal number of leaves and therefore causes an overall slow down in growth.  This is a particularly effective way to keep decorative shrubs in good shape and looking their best.  Shaggy, overgrown hedges and bushes that receive a summer pruning make all of your landscaping look tidy and well manicured.

summer pruning 3There are also good reasons to prune trees in summer.  The weight of the leaves helps identify weak branches.  Branches with dead leaves stand out and are easy to identify for pruning.  This is also a good time to look for defective branches to prune as well.

summer pruning 2Keep in mind that pruning can be a dangerous task.  Branches that are higher in the tree or too thick to easily cut should be left to the care of a professional.

 

Pruning Trees 101

Pruning Trees 101 is a condensed guide to help you understand the needs of your tree while pruning your tree properly.

Westchester Tree Life Pruning

Why Prune Your Tree

One of the most common procedures for caring your your tree, is pruning.  Pruning is the process by which superfluous branches and twigs are removed from the tree.  While pruning your tree, it is vital to keep in mind that each removal must have a cause; unnecessary or improper trimming can result in the growth change of your tree!

Pruning Westchester Tree Life

Common reasons for pruning are to improve the tree’s form, remove dead branches, and reduce risk.  When properly pruned, your tree may gain increased light and air penetration to the inside of the tree’s crown and the landscape below!

When to Prune Your Tree

Tree Pruning Before After

Photo Courtesy of www.citytrees.org

Routine pruning of your tree can take place during any season, with little to no effect on the tree.  Ideally, growth and wound closure are maximized if the pruning takes place before spring’s growth flush.

Avoid heavy pruning of the tree’s “live tissue” just after the spring growth period to avoid stress on the tree.  After spring growth the tree has just exhausted energy to produce new leaves and early shoot growth; the healing process after this period will be slower.

Pruning Young Trees Vs. Pruning Mature Trees

Pruning must be done with an understanding of tree biology.  Westchester Tree Life’s professional staff of arborists are trained in the proper procedure of tree pruning, and can ensure that your tree is being pruned in the best way possible.  Ensuring that your young tree is properly pruned is vital in setting it up for a long, healthy life; properly maintaining your mature tree is just as important.

Young Tree Mature Tree

By properly pruning your young tree from the beginning, you are setting it up to grow with a strong structure and desirable form.  Young trees which receive proper pruning will require less corrective pruning when they are older.  The goal in training your young tree is to establish a strong central trunk with sturdy branches which are well spaced.  Remember that poor pruning can cause lasting damage to a tree!

Making the Cut

When making the cut we cannot stress enough how important it is to have a reason for cutting.  Improper cutting can result in the tearing of bark.

Hand Pruners Westchester Tree Life

To prune your tree, you will need hand pruners, lopping shears, and a pruning saw; be sure to use tools which are sharp and clean.  Do not use hedge shears to prune your tree.  Once you have evaluated which branches need to be removed, be sure to make your pruning cuts just outside the branch collar.  The branch collar contains trunk tissue that should not be damaged or removed.

Pruning Tree Guide Westchest

If you are removing a large tree limb, reduce the weight first.  Before you begin cutting, mark an undercut about 12 to 18 inches from the limb’s point of attachment; make another mark to cut a few inches farther out atop the branch.  Afterward, remove the stub of the tree limb by cutting back to the branch collar.

Once again, we stress that the improper pruning of both young and mature trees can result in the stress and damage of your tree.  If you are unsure how to properly prune your tree, call Westchester Tree Life at (914) 238-0069.