The Importance of Pruning

When you already have so much on your plate, those less important tasks like yard maintenance can fall by the wayside. You may know you want to keep a neat and tidy property, but you may not realise that there’s more to tasks like hedge and tree trimming than aesthetics alone.

While dropping pruning to the bottom of your to-do list may seem like an easy decision, there can be value in taking action sooner rather than later. Prioritising pruning allows you to take care of the following things. 

Removing Dead, Broken, or Damaged Branches

As much as we like to think that our greenery will thrive on its own, that’s not always the case. Wildlife and the elements can cause a great deal of damage, as can pests and even children as they explore their natural surroundings.

When you decide to take care of pruning, either by doing it yourself or hiring the experts, you can take care of those dead, broken, or damaged branches and create an overall safer and healthier tree or hedge.

Making Your Property Safer

Most people consider their homes as places of safety and comfort, but they may not always be as safe as you think. If you haven’t given your trees the care they need, any damaged, diseased, or broken branches can pose a safety risk to your loved ones.

Regular pruning helps you to identify any signs of disease or damage so that you can remove affected branches. If left alone, those branches might fall without warning and damage your property or, worse, harm your family.

Encouraging Healthy New Growth

If your tree or hedge is covered in dead, dying, damaged, or diseased branches and foliage, the environment is not all that attractive for new growth. Those branches and greenery that will no longer thrive are sucking up all the sunshine and nutrients, leaving nothing for any new growth waiting for its chance to shine.

By pruning back any undesirable or unhealthy growth, you’re giving the healthy hedge or tree growth underneath a chance to form and bring your tree back to life.

Welcoming Controlled Growth

Whenever you plant new trees, shrubs, or hedge plants, you generally think long and hard about their placement to limit their impact on surrounding structures in the years to come. Otherwise, they might cause chaos as they grow by blocking drains, damaging property in storms, impacting plumbing, and more.

However, even when you do plant new shrubs in an area you believe won’t impact other parts of your property, pruning gives you complete control in ensuring that’s the case. Essentially, regular pruning allows you to ‘train’ trees and hedges to grow in a particular way for their health and the safety of your property.

Enhancing the Aesthetics

While aesthetics might not be the primary reason pruning is so important, it certainly plays a part in why you’d consider it. A beautifully trimmed tree or hedge is far more pleasing to the eye than one that’s gnarled, unkempt, and growing out of control.

Just as you would spend time and effort pruning a small Buxus hedge to keep it looking tidy, do the same for your trees, shrubs, and larger hedges. You might be surprised at how the occasional haircut can enhance the overall appeal of your property.

Laying a Sound Foundation for Healthy Flora

It goes without saying that a tree or hedge that has been cared for since it was planted will be much healthier and stronger than one left to its own devices. If you want your plant life to grow up big, strong, and healthy so that you can avoid future problems, prioritise pruning from the very beginning.

Fortunately, it’s easy to do when hiring lawn and garden experts to help. They can provide trimming services on a schedule so that you can reap the rewards without putting in the effort yourself.

What Does Pruning Involve?

The pruning services you require can depend on the type of plant life you have and your goals for their care. You might hire someone to reduce their density, which involves removing limbs to allow more sunshine to reach the canopy.

Some homeowners focus on maintaining the health of their plant life, which can involve simple cuts to clear any unhealthy limbs and greenery. Size management is also a crucial consideration, and this service typically incorporates the reduction of a tree’s height or width to keep a clear distance around obstacles.

Prioritise Pruning Today

Pruning might not seem important, but you may now realise that it is. If you haven’t yet considered this service alongside gardening, lawn mowing, and general backyard care, now might be the right time to add it to your to-do list. You can then enjoy peace of mind knowing that your trees, shrubs, and hedges are beautifully trimmed, healthy, and in the best possible position to thrive.

Karan Kikani