Pruning: What It Is and Why It Is Important to Your Landscape in Webster and Mendon, NY

To keep your Webster or Mendon, NY, landscape healthy and beautiful, pruning needs to be done regularly. Done right, pruning will make your outdoor spaces appear well-kept and manicured, but aesthetic reasons are not the only reasons to sign up for expert pruning services.

What Is Pruning?

Pruning is the removal of parts of a plant or tree that are not visually appealing or that are not essential to the health of the plant. When limbs or other parts of a plant or tree are not necessary for growth, they can be cut off for various reasons. Sometimes pruning needs to be done to remove diseased or dead parts of a plant or tree. Other times, pruning needs to be done if parts of a tree are interfering with power lines, traffic, or if it is obstructing views.

Why Is Pruning Important?

Pruning is important for a variety of reasons, depending upon the situation. Three of the most important reasons for pruning are health, appearance, and safety.

• Health

If a plant or tree has been affected by disease or an injury due to a lighting strike, wind damage, or ice, it is important to treat the plant or tree so that it does not die. In a situation where a tree has been damaged, this allows disease or pests to enter which can affect the overall health of the tree and lead to death. Cutting off the parts that are affected limits the spread and improves the health of the plant or tree.

• Appearance

Pruning allows the shape of a plant or tree to be maintained. While plants can grow without intervention and pruning, they will thrive when they are pruned. When a tree is pruned, the direction of the growth is controlled and beautified.

Crown raising involves pruning the tree so that the bottom edge of the tree limbs is up higher. This is often done to clear the view so that the surrounding scenery can be enjoyed. Crown reduction is done to help improve the health of a tree and to reduce limbs and limit foliage. Crown cleaning is one of the more common forms of pruning because it involves removing the dead and diseased branches. All of these methods could improve the overall look of your trees and your outside view.

• Safety

When an area is hit by a strong storm, it often results in broken limbs and damaged plants and trees. Leaving broken limbs in a tree can be a safety issue because you never know when they will break off from the tree and fall. These limbs could cause injury or damage to nearby structures.

If a plant or tree is near a road, it can obstruct the view for drivers, raising the risk of an accident. Trees that are growing near power lines or other utilities can also be a safety issue. It can be a fire hazard as well as an electrical hazard. Power outages are often a result of overgrown tree limbs and branches, which isn’t only a nuisance but can be a safety issue.