Most homeowners prefer to trim or prune their trees without involving professionals. But how many people know how to do it correctly? Very few! The thing is, you are more likely to make mistakes during tree care routines. Unless you hire a tree care company, you need to familiarize yourself with the common mistakes people make during tree care routines.
Disregarding Safety Measures
As much as you want your trees to look good, you should also mind your well-being. Falling off a tree can cause severe injuries or lead to death. Therefore, you need to be serious when it comes to observing safety. Ensure you have your helmet on, and don't forget to carry other safety equipment. If you aren't well-equipped, you can hire a tree service company to do the pruning or trimming.
Too Much Pruning
Most people often get carried away when trimming their trees. As such, they'll cut more than they need to. Unfortunately, this mistake can harm the growth of your trees. You only need to remove the dead or dying branches. Unless a branch is touching your house or power lines, you shouldn't cut it. So, if you can't distinguish the bad branches from the good ones, just call an arborist to do the job.
Topping a Tree
Topping your trees is another costly mistake you should avoid. Surprisingly, people top their trees to control their height. While it might work, it's one of the worst pruning methods. Tree topping can cause your trees to decay and get invaded by insects and diseases. Besides, it will interfere with the tree's structural strength. Your trees can survive topping, but their lifespan will be reduced. Those that are unlucky will end up starving and dying.
Ignoring Hazardous Trees
Trimming hazardous trees should be left to the experts. Regrettably, some people may not be able to identify trees that pose danger. If a tree is too close or touching power lines or the branches are touching your home's roof, don't attempt to prune it. Dying and rotting trees are also hazardous and can only be attended to by professional tree care companies.
Poor Cleanup
Most people leave the branches and leaves lying around the property once they trim their trees. This mess can attract termites and other insects that can attack your trees. Additionally, branches lying around your property can cause accidents. Unless you are comfortable with your property looking ugly, you should always clean up after pruning.
