Tree Pruning

Pruning for Tree Health and Safety

Pruning is a critical maintenance task that ensures the health, safety, and longevity of trees. At United Tree Services, we specialize in removing potentially harmful branches and improving tree structure, particularly in Buncombe County, including Asheville, and Henderson County with Hendersonville and surrounding areas.

Removing Dead and Diseased Branches

Dead and diseased branches pose a significant risk; they can fall unexpectedly, causing injury, or they might spread decay and disease to other parts of the tree. Our approach involves carefully inspecting each tree to identify and remove these branches, ensuring the safety of both the tree and its surroundings. We make intentional cuts close to the branch collar to avoid leaving stubs that can lead to decay. In removing these branches, we also prevent diseases from affecting the rest of the tree, thereby promoting healthier growth.

Improving Air Circulation and Light Penetration

Proper pruning by United Tree Services significantly improves air circulation and light penetration within the tree canopy, vital for the tree’s growth and resilience. We strategically remove select live branches to open up the tree structure without impacting its integrity. This method encourages stronger, larger branches, and increases exposure to sunlight, thus reducing the likelihood of diseases. Enhanced airflow prevents damp conditions that can lead to fungal infections and other issues within the bark, ensuring the tree remains robust and well-aerated.

Our precise pruning techniques promote the overall health of trees across Buncombe and Henderson Counties, including in urban environments where trees face unique challenges and space constraints. By focusing on removing dead, diseased, and large branches, and improving structural integrity through enhanced air circulation, we maintain safer, healthier green spaces for our community.

Tree Pruning Tools and Equipment

In our practice at United Tree Services, we emphasize the importance of using the right tools for tree pruning. Within Buncombe County, including Asheville, and throughout Henderson County, especially Hendersonville, we ensure that our equipment is optimal for both the safety and health of the trees we maintain.

Hand Tools

At the core of our hand tool selection are pruning shears and lopping shears, which are essential for precise cutting and trimming of smaller branches. Pruning shears, also known as hand pruners, are ideal for branches up to ¾ inches in diameter, facilitating clean cuts that promote plant health. For slightly larger branches, typically up to 2 inches in diameter, we employ lopping shears. These shears come with long handles providing greater leverage, which is particularly useful for tough cuts.

In our operations across both Buncombe and Henderson counties, we’ve found that pruning saws are indispensable for branches with diameters that exceed the capacity of shears. These saws are designed with sharp, curved blades to handle the deeper cuts required for thicker branches. The ergonomic designs of these saws help us to work efficiently, preventing unnecessary strain.

Power Tools

For high-branch work within our service areas, pole pruners and pole saws are integral to our toolset. The versatility of a pole saw, which is essentially a saw attached to the end of a pole, allows for the safe pruning of branches without the need for a ladder. They combine the cutting power of a chainsaw with reach, ideal for tackling branches beyond our arm’s length. This extended reach is especially beneficial in the dense forests around Asheville and Hendersonville, providing accessibility without disturbing the tree’s surroundings.

Our expertise is further complemented by the use of power tools wherever they offer an improvement in safety and efficiency. For example, brushless motors enhance the operation of our pole saws, delivering more power and torque with extended runtime. This attribute is critical when managing the expansive growth of trees in Henderson and Buncombe counties, enabling us to deliver services that are both thorough and time-efficient.

In every job we undertake within our service regions, from the urban settings of Asheville and Hendersonville to the more rural parts of Buncombe and Henderson counties, United Tree Services maintains a fleet of specialized hand and power tools. Our commitment is to ensure that every pruning task is performed with precision and care, for the wellbeing of the trees and satisfaction of our clients.

Practical Pruning Tips for Specific Trees

When it comes to pruning, each tree species has its unique needs that we, at United Tree Services, cater to meticulously across Buncombe County NC, including Asheville, and Henderson County NC, covering Hendersonville and surrounding areas.

Pruning Deciduous Trees

Deciduous trees such as oak, maple, and dogwood enhance the landscape with their seasonal foliage and structural beauty. To maintain their health and appearance:

Caring for Evergreen Trees

Evergreen trees like juniper, pines, and spruce maintain foliage year-round, offering continual greenery to the home landscape.

In all pruning tasks we undertake, United Tree Services remains committed to providing the best care for each specific tree type in the diverse landscapes of Buncombe and Henderson Counties, ensuring each tree’s vitality and beauty are upheld for years to come.

Avoiding Common Pruning Mistakes

In our work across Buncombe County—including the Asheville area—and Henderson County with towns like Hendersonville, we at United Tree Services emphasize the importance of proper pruning practices. Topping, the drastic cutting back of tree branches to stubs, is one such practice we advise against. Not only does it harm the tree’s structural integrity, but it also jeopardizes its health and aesthetics.

Topping and Flush Cuts: Trees are often subjected to topping due to misconceptions about reducing their size for safety reasons. However, this can lead to weak new growth and increased susceptibility to disease and decay. Flush cuts, which are cuts made too close to the trunk, can remove the tree’s natural defense systems and delay wound closure.

Timing of Pruning: When pruning is timed correctly, it can enhance a tree’s health and structure. For many species, late winter is ideal because trees are dormant and their structures are easily visible without leaves. Pruning in early winter can lead to bleeding, which is the loss of sap. This can weaken the tree and expose it to infections.

In the event of rubbing or crossing branches, corrective pruning by United Tree Services ensures that only the necessary branches are removed, preserving the tree’s strength. We avoid leaving branch stubs, as they can decay and become entry points for pathogens. Techniques like selective cutting protect the tree while achieving the desired shape and size.

By adhering to these guidelines, we at United Tree Services help maintain the vitality of trees in Asheville, Hendersonville, and surrounding areas throughout Buncombe and Henderson counties. Our expertise in avoiding common pruning mistakes sustains the beauty and health of our region’s trees.