guest post by Bryan Hardin

If you are the proud owner of a garden or yard, you will agree that it takes effort to maintain your green area. You need to care for your plants and trees and make sure they remain healthy and looked after. Speaking of maintenance, pruning and trimming are two techniques that can help to keep your trees in excellent condition. However, most people confuse them as being the same thing. While trimming and pruning are both landscaping techniques, they differ in their functions and applications.

In this article, we will tell you about the differences between pruning and trimming your trees. Read on to know more about them so that you can make informed decisions about your trees.

What is Tree Trimming?

Tree trimming refers to the process of shaping a tree or a plant evenly. This process is carried out in order to meet the needs of a specific design. Trimming is also done to remove the overgrown branches in a tree to maintain a clean look.

What is Tree Pruning?

Tree pruning refers to the procedure of removing extraneous branches from a tree to keep it healthy and free from any diseases. Sometimes pruning is done to remove roots for the same reason.

Difference Between Trimming and Pruning

Tree pruning and tree trimming differ in three major aspects. Let’s take a look at each one:

Purpose

Trimming: The main purpose of trimming a tree is to enhance its aesthetic beauty and elevate your whole landscape. This means that when there is a need to improve the appearance of a tree or a shrub, you need to opt for the process of trimming. Trimming helps to control overgrown branches and maintain the shapely growth of the tree.

Left alone, your trees can have branches growing in different directions. This can turn them unwieldy. Apart from making trees look misshapen and unbalanced, the uneven overgrowth can also do other damage. Another purpose of trimming is to boost the proper growth of the tree. The overgrowth and extra branches can prevent a tree from getting the nutrients and moisture it needs to maintain its growth.

Pruning: The aim of pruning a tree is to remove a diseased or infected branch or even a dead branch. So, pruning is done to do away with the unwanted portions of a tree that can create further problems. By pruning a tree, you help protect it from infections and diseases.

Further, pruning is also done to ensure the safety of a property. By doing away with the weak and diseased branches of a tree situated near your home, you can reduce the risk of branches toppling over and causing harm to your property. Pruning also prevents your tree from growing branches that can stretch into power lines or hang over the roof. So pruning serves as an investment for the long-term health of your tree as well as the safety of your property.

Tools and Equipment Used

Trimming: To trim a tree, you need specific tools and equipment to help you carry out the job quickly and efficiently. Some of the main tools and equipment used by experts to trim trees are a trimmer or a clipper. You can use either a gas-powered version or an electric one. Shears are also used to trim shrubs.

Pruning: The tree cutting tools needed for pruning include two different types of shears: hand shears and lopping shears. Hand shears usually remove buds and leaves from a plant or a tree. Lopping shears are primarily used to cut the thick branches of trees. If the branches are too dense to be removed with shears, you can use a saw to get the job done efficiently.

Timing and Frequency

Trimming: Experts who provide tree trimming services recommend that plants and trees be trimmed twice a year to maintain their aesthetic appeal. Out of these, at least one trimming should be done after the flowering season. Smaller shrubs need to be trimmed before they are one foot in height to promote healthy growth.

Pruning: When it comes to pruning, experts recommend a once-a-year pruning cycle. More often than not, pruning is done at specific times of the year. You need to carry out the pruning process based on the plant species as well as its blooming cycle. For example, the best time to prune a spring-flowering tree is after the blooming cycle. This can be toward the middle of the summer season. For fruit trees or summer-flowering trees, pruning is generally done during the winter. This is the season when trees are dormant, so many people take to redesigning their garden in the winter. Pruning at this time of the year has its benefits. It encourages new growth when the season starts to improve.

Are Trimming and Pruning Healthy for Trees?

Trimming and pruning have their advantages and can help address some of your garden trees' common issues. But if you indulge in too much trimming of your tree or remove a considerable portion of the foliage in a single trimming season, you may end up damaging it.

On the other hand, you need to continue pruning your trees regularly. This will help to stimulate new growth and ensure that your tree remains healthy and robust. Further, pruning a tree can boost flower production. It can even optimize fruit yields. If you do not regularly prune your trees, it may lead to several problems, such as weakened or dead branches, pest infestation, and more.

Necessary Techniques

Trimming and pruning are necessary techniques that can help you keep your trees healthy and beautiful all year long. By understanding the fundamental differences between these two processes, you will now be in a better position to take a call about them. Also, you need to be aware of how to trim or prune trees efficiently before trying them out in your garden. If you do not have the required expertise to do so, it is better to call in an arborist who will be able to handle the task on your behalf.

Bryan Hardin actively liaisons with arborists and is also a passionate hiker. He loves sharing his expertise and insights through informative articles around hiking, tree climbing, their gears and accessories, advanced techniques, and much more. Bryan is a tree hugger and proudly contributes to the growth of an eco-friendly and sustainable environment.

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