Who prunes trees?

While the pruning of mature trees should be done by a professional arborist, you can learn to prune young trees that can be reached from the ground or from a stepladder. For trees that exceed the size you can safely reach from the ground, hire an arborist.

Pruning

very sick or dead branches of your trees can be done all year round. Dead or dying wood from your trees can be an easy entry into your tree for pests and diseases to enter and take over.

If you do this at home, be sure to disinfect your shears or loppers after using them to prevent the spread of any disease from one tree to another on your property. Prune back any branches that cross or grow toward the center of a young tree, and cut off the lower branches of the trunk as the tree grows to lift the crown. Young trees that are improperly pruned or not pruned at all for several years may require intensive pruning to remove larger branches and prevent trees from deforming.