Trees gain many benefits from proper, regular pruning, depending on their age, species, root zone and surrounding environment. Our arborists can provide a complete assessment of your tree needs, taking all of these factors into account. Pruning trees requires expert care, and at Evergreen Tree Care, we have many years experience properly pruning trees in the urban setting of Toronto. We also keep well informed of all industry standards related to proper pruning procedures. Here are some types of pruning we offer:
Corrective Pruning is the most beneficial of all pruning. This will help to correct any improper pruning your tree may have experienced in the past. Corrective Pruning will also help your tree become more structurally sound, to help it fend off any weather events or diseases. This pruning involves the removal of any dying or diseased branches, storm broken branches, dead branches, hazardous branches, and some or all crossing and interfering branches. This will help your tree to develop proper form and structure and give it the best chance to be its healthiest and safest.
Crown Thinning can be very beneficial to particular species of trees with very full canopies, or trees that are out in the open exposed to heavy winds. This pruning can allow for more light penetration into your yard and less wind sail in the canopy. Crown Thinning involves the even removal of no more than 20% of the canopy at one time. When this type of pruning is done, it is better to evenly remove branches from the entire canopy, leaving the tree’s form carefully balanced. Done correctly, Crown Thinning will also make the main branches lighter to help the tree deal with snow and ice loading. Less is more: removing too much canopy at one time can have the opposite affect in the following years, causing the tree to produce more growth to make up for the previous year’s loss.
Deadwooding is the simple removal of a tree’s dead branches. Untreated, these branches can be a hazard to anything of value underneath them. They will be the first to fall in a weather event, or eventually fall all on their own.
Canopy Elevation is the removal or subordination (shortening) of low lying branches. It’s the helpful pruning away of branches near your house (or your neighbours’ home!), chimneys, cars, driveway, sheds, pools, sidewalks, etc. This type of pruning can provide you with more space and light in your back or front yard.
All of our Arborists make proper pruning cuts to give your tree the best chance to seal over the wound. When you make a cut on a tree, it doesn’t heal that wound: it seals over it and compartmentalizes around it, leaving that pocket of decay forever. That’s why we discourage larger cuts on more mature trees. If the cut or wound is too big, it will never seal over completely and can lead to animal damage, diseases, mould, bugs… and becomes a weak point in that tree. We never leave stubs, make a cut that cuts off the branch bark collar, or cut trees back to the property line — without making sure there is something to cut back to.
We also never use spurs while pruning!
Spurs can be very harmful to your tree’s health and should only be used when removing a tree.