If you want to help your trees stay beautiful and healthy, you may ask, “Can over-pruning kill a tree?” As the trusted provider of top-notch tree service in Prospect, KY, our New Leaf Tree Service team never over-prunes a tree. We can help you understand the dangers of DIY tree pruning or tree services that use improper techniques to save time and maximize profit.
What Is Pruning?
Pruning is a form of tree maintenance that focuses on removing dead or diseased branches. Many tree care amateurs conflate it with trimming. However, the services differ in their goals.
While trimming focuses on improved aesthetics, pruning prioritizes tree health. Pruning keeps disease or infestations from spreading to the rest of your tree. It can also enhance the quality of a tree’s fruit.
For the best results, you should have a professional prune your tree every three to five years.
Common Improper Pruning Techniques
Urban trees face several challenges that rural or wild trees don’t. However, they can benefit from pruning, which unattended trees don’t have access to.
Can over-pruning kill a tree? It’s one of many techniques that can harm your tree, including:
- Over-pruning: Never remove more than 25% of a tree’s branches. Many trees don’t require that level of pruning, so err on the side of caution.
- Tree topping: This technique involves cutting off the entire top of a tree. Never work with a company that suggests using this method.
- Untargeted branch removal: You should only remove certain branches. If you don’t pick and choose correctly, you’ll damage the tree.
How Over-Pruning Affects a Tree
Improper pruning and over-cutting can lead to excessive canopy loss for your tree and cause the following issues.
Unusual Growth
When a tree experiences damage from over-pruning, it can have a stress response as it tries to heal. You might see them sprouting an excessive amount of shoots or branch seedlings. They grow rapidly and can affect the structural integrity of the tree, making it more likely to fall over.
You may also notice the opposite issue as your tree stops growing or you see its leaves thin. Since the tree lost much of its foliage during the over-pruning, it can’t obtain enough sunlight and suffers from nutrient depletion.
Early Death
Can over-pruning kill a tree? When you over-prune a tree, it can lead to early death. Whether the tree rots away, can’t produce enough nutrients, or falls over, this worst-case scenario occurs more commonly than you’d hope.
Rapid Decay
Over-pruning can hinder tree recovery time and reduce its ability to heal. It can’t close its wounds as quickly, leaving it vulnerable to disease and insect infestations. These conditions can speed up the rate at which the tree decays, and you’ll see large holes in the trunk or rotting branches.
Falling Branches
Branch dieback occurs when branches randomly start dying and fall from your tree. It can happen years after over-pruning.
These branches can damage property or injure a person. If the harm occurred because you improperly pruned your tree, you may become liable for any medical or repair expenses.
Sun Scalding
Did you know a tree can experience something like a sunburn? If the tree species naturally has this thin bark, a reduced canopy can expose it to intense sunlight. Sun scalding can permanently damage the tree’s inner tissue.
Schedule Reliable Tree Pruning Today
Can over-pruning kill a tree? When you rely on New Leaf Tree Service to prune your trees, you never have to worry about your tree’s health. We have a reputation for reliable service, competitive prices, and expertise.
You can request a free estimate when you contact us online or by calling (502) 419-9899.