Pruning

Why Prune Your Trees?

Pruning is much more than the simple act of sawing off limbs and should be a regular part of all tree and shrub maintenance programs.

Proper pruning encourages strong growth, increases flower and fruit production, improves plant health, and removes damaged limbs, all which give aesthetic appeal to a tree. Pruning at the right time and in the right way is critical, since it is possible to kill a healthy tree through neglect or over-pruning. Essentially, pruning should enhance the trees natural shape.

Here are a few main reasons to prune your trees:

  • Reduce risk of failure from dead or weak branches
  • Provide clearance
  • Reduce shade and wind resistance
  • Manage tree health
  • Manage flower or fruit production
  • Improve aesthetics
  • Improve tree structure
  • Save a storm-damaged tree

Use TCIA’s search tool to hire a professional arborist or tree care company.


65 thoughts on “Why Prune Your Trees?

  • Susan Hirst

    I agree that properly pruning your trees is important. Not just for the aesthetic appeal, but also for safety reasons. Like you said, pruning reduces risk of failure from dead or weak branches.

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  • I wasn’t aware that pruning had so many advantages beyond aesthetics, like encouraging the production of fruit and flowers, as the article explains. I recently adopted some trees at a new home I moved into, and must admit I don’t know how to care for them. I’ll have to be sure to learn to prune correctly, since I enjoy the trees and want them to thrive.

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    • Vincent

      Employ me pls. I will look after your trees,๐Ÿงก๐Ÿงก

      Reply
  • I’m able to prune some of smaller trees, but I cannot prune my larger, older trees. Recently, the branches started getting too long and broad, so I’m worried that could fall over on a windy day. So, with that worry in mind, I’m thinking that I need to hire a professional tree service company to help me.

    Alex Jennings |

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  • Wind resistance can be one of the worst qualities of a tree, for its own health. It can be ripped and tore up by a strong wind otherwise. Sometimes there is a tornado/hurricane, and the tree is uprooted.

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  • It is interesting for me to learn how and why to prune a tree. I did not know that it actually kept the tree healthy. That is a really great way to stop dangers from happening in your yard.

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  • I had no idea about the benefits of pruning a tree. I thought it was interesting to learn, “Proper pruning encourages strong growth, increases flower and fruit production, improves plant health, and removes damaged limbs…” We are moving to a property that has a significant amount of shrubs and trees, would you suggest that I learn how to do this my self, or hire help? I don’t have any experience with this kind of yard work. Thanks for your help!

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  • Thanks for sharing such important information on trimming trees and why it’s so important for looks and safety reasons to keep your trees pruned. I wish more people put trimming their trees as priority!

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  • This is a really great article on trimming and pruning trees. Some home and business owners take chances not realizing just how important it is to keep trees maintained for safety and looks. Thanks for the information it is very helpful.

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  • I also wanted to add that it is a great service you guys have with this blog about trees and tree service. Very nice to see some great information up on the internet in an easy to follow way. I’ll definitely be visiting again soon. Thanks again.

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  • Pruning your trees of dead branches is indeed a really good idea. That risk of failure listed in the article can be that it causes damage to the rest of the tree, and/or that it could break and fall randomly. You wouldn’t want it to fall on anything important like your car or someones head.

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  • Keeping your trees pruned is very important. Doing this will help your trees be beautiful and flourish. Great article.

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  • Appreciate the article – when we opened up a tree care business a while back this is something I really had to educate our clients on. It can be hard to get people to realize where the importance is. Great article, thanks again.

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  • Interesting article – pruning trees is often a overlooked facet of keeping them at their best. Pruning should be done on all of your trees, not just the birches!

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  • Glad I came across this. Being a tree service professional, I’m always trying to educate my customers on the importance of regular tree care and pruning. It’s nice to have a professional article to point them to.

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  • Carl Heilman

    Really solid article. We are a newer tree service business so always looking for quality information that will help us expand our tree care services to our clients. It’s inspiring to always push our experience & abilities to new levels. Thanks for providing some great tree care information to those of us in need of it!!!

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  • Thanks for bringing to my attention that pruning can help with managing fruit production. I have a cherry tree in my yard, but the fruit it produces isn’t very good, so it just ends up making a mess in our yard. Could pruning services help to reduce the amount of cherries that the tree produces?

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  • A lot of people aren’t sure when the best time to prune is. Very informative!
    Thanks!

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  • This is some really good information about pruning trees. I have been wanting to plant a few fruit trees in my yard for a long time. It is good for me to know that over pruning a tree can kill your tree. Since I have never grown a fruit tree before this is good information for me to know.

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  • I’ve always had an idea that tree trimming was important and helpful for more than just aesthetic purposes, but I had no idea that it helped improve the structure! We’ve got some trees that I think could use some pruning, but I mostly just wanted them done so they looked cleaner. I’m going to have to make sure that we get a tree trimming professional out who can help us get healthier plants in our yard, as well as helping them look good! Thanks!

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  • Coming up to summer here you wouldnt believe how many calls I get after storms, turn up and see that a branch has dropped on someones house or car.
    Its more about safety than aesthetics.

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  • Thank you for pointing out that getting your trees pruned can reduce the right of dead branches. There are some trees in my yard that need to be pruned. I’ll have to do some research and find the best landscaper in my area.

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  • Also need to consider things like is pests and diseases as well. Over grown trees become more susceptible to diseases.

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  • It’s good to know that pruning your trees can improve the aesthetics of your trees. My wife and I have been looking for a way to make the trees in our front yard look better before we try to sell our house, and pruning seems like it would work well. We’ll be looking further into our options for tree pruning to accomplish this goal.

    Reply
  • I never knew that pruning trees could encourage an increase in flower and fruit production. My husband and I planted a bunch of fruit trees in our backyard last year, and we don’t have a lot of background knowledge about tree care or pruning. We’ll have to look for a good local tree care business who can help us best take care of our trees. Thanks for the info!

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  • I liked that you said that professional tree trimming is crucial to encouraging strong growth, the increase of flowers, and abundant fruit production. I have been thinking about trying to trim my trees by myself but I have been worried that I would end up killing my plants. I will be sure to hire a professional to trim my trees for me so that I can enjoy flourishing foliage.

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  • It’s great that pruning your tree can help your improve its aesthetic appeal. My wife and I would like to make sure that our yard looks as nice as possible in the coming months. We’ll be sure to look into our options for professionals who can help us prune our tree to accomplish this.

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  • Great post – I appreciate you including how timing is a crucial aspect of tree pruning. As I get older I realize that properly caring for trees is an art form, and understanding the fine details definitely goes a long way. And secondly, pruning absolutely is much more than improving aesthetics/looks like you said. I remember my dad always had experts handle this for us when we were growing up (he knew I wasn’t going to do it!)

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  • It’s good that you point out that regular pruning is good for the health of your trees. I want to make sure my trees stay healthy, so I’m considering hiring a professional to prune them for me. I’m going to look for a good provider of tree pruning services in my area to hire.

    Reply
  • It’s good that you point out that regular pruning is beneficial to the health of your trees. I want to have healthy trees in my yard, so I’m considering hiring a tree pruning service. I’m going to look for a good provider of residential tree care services in my area to hire.

    Reply
  • It’s interesting that you point out that having your trees pruned is beneficial to their health. I want to make sure that the trees in my front yard stay healthy, so I’m considering hiring a professional to prune them for me. I’m going to look for a good local business that offers tree pruning services to hire.

    Reply
  • It’s great that you elaborate on how having your trees pruned is beneficial to their health. I want to make sure that the trees in my front yard stay healthy, so I’m considering hiring a professional to prune them. I’m going to search for a good business that offers tree pruning services in my area to hire.

    Reply
  • Thanks for the great content. Can’t wait to read more of your works.

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  • Thank you for elaborating on how having your trees pruned is beneficial to their health. The house that I just bought has a few trees in the front yard, so I’m considering hiring a professional to prune them for me in the near future. I’m going to see if there’s a good provider of tree pruning services in the area that I can hire.

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  • Thank you for highlighting the fact that you can improve the appearance of your trees by having them pruned. The house that I just bought has some trees in the front yard, so I’m thinking about hiring someone to prune them for me this week. I’m going to search for a reputable business in my area that offers tree pruning services to hire.

    Reply
  • We are very thankful for all your ideas and for sharing them to all your readers. Keep it up and we will continue to support your web posts.

    Tree Removal

    Reply
  • We are very thankful for all your ideas and for sharing them to all your readers. Keep it up and we will continue to support your blog posts.

    Reply
  • I was surprised when you explained that over-pruning a healthy tree can be fatal for it. My husband and I just moved to a home with a cluster of hardwood trees near the back property line. Maybe I’ll find a landscape maintenance service that offers tree trimming since I’d hate to end up causing damage to them by mistake.

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  • Your Idea is good and thanks for this type of article. I agree that properly pruning trees is important. I will try to hire someone to pruning it. Thanks

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  • I thoroughly enjoyed this article. Tree service is an amazing industry and it requires true professionals. There’s a big difference between an amateur arborist and a pro.

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  • Thank you for the tips and reasons in this article. I really got to stop neglecting my tree and take some more care of them. I thought that they could survive and fair without me but I guess I should help them out. They are kind of like kids.

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  • It’s awesome that you mention that you can improve the appearance of your trees by having them pruned. I want the trees in my front yard to look good, so I’m thinking about hiring someone to prune them this month. I’m going to look for a good provider of tree pruning services in my area to hire.

    Reply
  • Appreciate this one, very helpful and informative to those who want to prune their trees. Advantages are given and I understand that it is important to prune the trees or other plants. Keep on sharing valuable articles.

    Reply
  • Joseph

    Despite its importance for a gardenโ€™s health, many people don’t realise how necessary pruning is. Prune your plants with care and avoid using an amateur service that will only do more harm than good to the plant’s life cycle in the long run. So make sure to seek an expert garden pruning service in your area! Thank you again for the awesome information.

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  • These are usually very similar tips we offer customers looking for proper tree trimming, always good to have quality resources on hand like this is continue improving our knowledge and network with other tree professionals.

    Reply
  • If you don’t prune once you notice some unhealthy habits, the disease can spread quickly and even kill your tree! While not all trees die from diseases, you may notice some deadwood. These dead branches or parts of your trunk may also indicate a pest issue. Tree Service company can help you with this. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  • Wow! thank you for the information it is truly informative!! ๐Ÿ™‚ click here! maybe this could help you..

    Reply
  • Wow! Thank you for the information; it is extremely useful!! ๐Ÿ™‚ maybe Tree Company could assist you..

    Reply
  • I’m a huge fan of your blog and I noticed you posted about pruning trees. I wanted to reach out because we also offer tree care services.
    While a lot of people think they know what it means to “prune” a tree, there is actually more than meets the eye. Properly pruned trees look better and are healthier for years to come–and that’s just one benefit!

    Reply
  • Thanks for explaining how pruning encourages growth and fruit production in your trees. We have a cherry tree on our property. We’re excited for all the cherries this year, but were wondering if there was anything we could do to get a higher yield. We’ll be sure to hire someone to help us with pruning and trimming the tree.

    Reply
  • I loved learning from your article that pruning your trees helps you to manage their health. My parents finished the landscape around their house last year and they are hoping for the trees to live for a long time. I will recommend that they hire professionals to prune their trees in order to make sure they are in good health and will last a long time.

    Reply
  • I like that you said that if you want to encourage strong growth, proper pruning is the key. My uncle mentioned to me last night that their tree has broken branches, and he asked if I had any idea what is the best option to do. Thanks to this informative article, I’ll be sure to tell him that he should consult trusted tree pruning services as they can provide more information and tips about tree care.

    Reply
  • It’s cool that you mention that having your trees pruned can improve their aesthetics. I want the trees in my front yard to look nice this summer, so I’m considering hiring a professional to prune them for me this week. I’m going to look for a good provider of tree pruning services in my area to employ.

    Reply
  • It is really a great article and helpful to get best support for tree service. I am very pleased to go through this kind of helpful blog. Thanks for sharing a wonderful blog. It will definitely help list of people for their tree work.

    Reply

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