What To Do About Dead Tree Limbs and Branches?

You may start noticing that the trees on your property have limbs or branches that stop producing leaves and look dead. This can happen because of damage or disease. Tree trimming can remove the dead branches, improving both health and appearance. In fact, regular tree pruning can help keep your tree healthy, strong, and looking its best even before the branches die off completely. For the sake of your safety and the health of your tree, it may be best to hire a professional tree service to handle the pruning.

Why Is Tree Trimming Necessary?

There are three reasons why it is important to have a tree pruned regularly, especially when it has dead branches and limbs. Dead tree limbs and branches are less stable and more likely to fall. This may occur without warning and result in injury to you or a family member or damage to your home. If the tree branch is already dead when it falls, the insurance company may not cover the resulting damage. It may assert that you failed in your responsibility to prevent the accident by having the dead branch trimmed.

A disease that kills a single branch could eventually spread to the whole tree. One way to prevent this is by having the diseased branch removed to contain the infection. However, it is not necessarily only diseased branches that could affect your tree’s health. A tree that has become overgrown is more vulnerable to damage due to wind and storms. Trimming of the overgrowth now could save your tree’s life later by helping it better withstand inclement weather. In addition, trees that do not get regular trimming look raggedy and unkempt. Regular trimming does for a tree what a haircut does for you, helping it to look neat, clean, and well-cared for.

When Should You Have Your Trees Trimmed?

There is usually no need to prune your trees more than once a year. Opinions vary as to when is the best time to do it, but most experts agree on winter or early spring. As a routine matter, pruning in mid-to-late winter may be ideal. The tree is dormant during this time, and winter pruning helps to encourage new growth come spring and warm weather.

Some people prune their trees in late summer. This can be beneficial when timed just after peak summer growth. However, summer pruning isn’t a very popular option. It comes with a risk of reducing the nutrients that the tree receives by removing the total leaf volume. This can slow down the tree’s development.

Tree trimming in the fall carries its own risk. If the season is particularly warm, trimming could encourage new growth, which would be vulnerable to damage when cold winter weather finally sets in. Fall pruning also increases the risk of disease. These are guidelines for routine tree trimming. If you have dead tree limbs or branches that pose potential safety hazards, you should have these removed any time. You do not need to wait for a particular season.

Why Should You Hire a Professional Tree Service?

When your trees are young, you may be able to handle trimming and pruning yourself. However, once your trees become larger and more established, it is generally better to hire a professional service to perform the tree trimming for you. If trying to remove the branches yourself, you could put yourself in danger of injury if the branch falls in a direction that you do not expect. Our professionals know how to remove tree branches safely so they do not damage anyone or anything on your property.

It is also important to remove the branches in a way that promotes healing of the trees and protects them from disease. Our professionals receive training to preserve your tree’s health. At Martin’s Tree Service, we provide state-of-the-art tree care. Find out more about the professional pruning your trees deserve.