Tree Pruning

Trees are an essential component of any yard. These majestic pieces of nature provide shade, flowers, fruit, and oxygen. Proper tree pruning ensures your trees will grow to their full potential and last for ages.

Trees you can prune

You can prune any type of tree there is. The major obstacle is not what kind of variety you have but rather how large your tree is. Once a tree becomes so large that even a ladder isn’t effective, specialized equipment will need to be used. A cherry picker is a common vehicle used by tree experts. It is essentially a large bucket that an arborist stands in, which is then raised and maneuvered for tree pruning. It’s best if a cherry picker can be parked on a road, but this isn’t always the case. Arborists can also scale trees with a harness, cutting branches as they climb higher.

Whatever you do, don’t attempt to trim a tall tree on your own. It is not safe and needs to be left to experts with proper safety devices.

Natures Shade Tree Care - Tree Pruning with a Natures Shade truck arm in the air beside a tree that needs pruning

Reasons to prune your trees

Removes dead branches

Dead branches in a tree are an eyesore. They so obviously don’t belong, especially next to gorgeous limbs full of green growth. Dead branches also take nutrients away from living branches. Removing them allows your tree to grow more and overall be much nicer to look at.

Prevents diseases

If you find a diseased branch in a tree, you can remove it and halt the spread of the disease to the rest of your tree. A little bit of prevention means saving the entire tree. However, it can be hard to tell if a branch is diseased, especially if it is a tall tree and the limb is out of your sightline. This is why annual tree maintenance is useful as an expert can make a full observation and offer any recommendations.

Promotes fruit production

Tree pruning is one of the best ways to encourage more fruit production. By clipping the ends of a tree branch, the spurs grow better which means more fruit the following year. Also, similar to preventing diseases, the less diseased branches there are in a fruit tree, the more opportunity for healthy branches to grow their own fruit.

Protects limbs from falling

Nobody wants to feel unsafe during a windstorm. Instead of being reactionary, be proactive and remove any hazardous tree limbs before they become a problem. Look for tree branches that hang over your home or are near windows. Also look for old, weak, and diseased branches that can easily break off. Finally, check to see what parts of the tree your children are playing on. While they might see a cool branch to swing on, a certified arborist might see an accident waiting to happen.

Increases light

Trees are an excellent source of shade and privacy. However, there can always be too much of a good thing. Similar to shrub pruning, tree pruning allows you to let more natural light into your yard, making the space feel more open and bright. Don’t worry, though. Expert tree pruners know just which branches to cut so that you will still get the shade and privacy you wanted in the first place.


Deciduous trees are those that lose their leaves every year. It is best to prune them in late winter. Not only is it easier to see the branches, but if you prune at other times of the year, the tree can weaken and not grow as much.

Also known as conifers, evergreen trees don’t lose their leaves. It is best to prune them in late winter to early spring.

Pine trees don’t usually need to be pruned. However, if you see dead or diseased branches, contact an expert tree service to help you come up with a plan to maintain the overall health of the tree.

It used to be recommended to dress a tree wound but this is no longer the case. Dressings can interfere with the tree’s own ability to heal itself. The best way to prevent damage is to have an expert properly prune a tree in a clean manner.

It’s recommended to prune your trees once a year. While you may not think they grow too much in a year, trees can grow quite fast. An expert tree pruner will also inspect your tree, ensuring there are no diseased or broken branches.

Tree topping is when the crown of the tree is drastically removed. The result is exposed branch stubs and smaller branches that grow out of them. Topping a tree will greatly weaken it, leading to decay and ultimately death. Tree topping is not a recommended practice.


We can help you:

We are a professional, family run business dedicated to the health of trees and the surrounding environment. We care about the health of your trees, shrubs and plants. Most of all, we truly appreciate your customers. We provide services to accommodate your most creative outdoor ideas to emergency storm damage.