Hurricanes Ian and Nicole and the other severe weather hitting Florida lately demonstrated how trees could pose a serious hazard to your home during a windstorm event.
Every year, falling trees and limbs cause millions of dollars in damage, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
In addition to keeping your yard looking its best, proper tree trimming and pruning is an essential part of home maintenance that will help keep your home – and your family – safe during a storm.
Trimming vs. Pruning: What’s the Difference?
While often used interchangeably, there’s a difference between tree trimming and pruning:
- Trimming involves shaping small branches to maintain a tree’s natural shape or form.
- Pruning involves removing dead, loose, or infected branches or stems from a tree.
Why Do I Need to Trim and Prune Trees?
Proper tree trimming and pruning are essential for several reasons. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), you should trim and prune trees primarily for safety and tree health reasons, followed by aesthetics.
- Safety: Remove branches that could potentially cause damage to your home if they fall.
- Tree health: Prune dead branches to help the tree’s overall health. This will also strengthen the tree, making it more resistant to storm damage.
- Aesthetics: Trim trees to help accentuate how they look and improve flower or fruit production.
When Should I Trim and Prune Trees?
The Arbor Day Foundation recommends pruning trees once a year during the winter when they are dormant. However, more immediate pruning may be necessary if a tree has any of the following:
- Cracks on the trunk or larger limbs
- Hollow or decayed areas. Mushrooms growing on the bark may indicate a decayed or weakened stem.
- A lopsided look or notable lean
- Branches hanging near your house or over the roof
- Limbs touching a power line
- V-shaped forks rather than U-shaped ones. V-shaped forks are more likely to split.
- Crossing branches that rub or interfere with one another
Tree Trimming and Pruning in 3 Simple Steps
Follow these steps for basic tree trimming and pruning:
- About 3 inches away from the collar (the thick spot where the parent and child limb intersect), make a cut 1/3 of the way through the underside of the limb.
- Cut slightly beyond the first slice, straight through the limb.
- Make a final cut through the remaining portion of the limb, as close to the collar as possible, without touching the collar itself.
Mostly, it’s not necessary to seal the stump that remains after tree trimming. However, if you’re pruning an oak, birch, or elm tree, varieties that are prone to disease, you may want to consider applying a non-asphalt-based pruning sealer.
Personal Safety is Key
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reminds us that personal safety is critical. It would be best if you considered hiring a professional arborist for major trimming or pruning jobs. They have years of experience and will get it done safely and efficiently.
Caring for Trees Before and After the Storm
In addition to pruning trees once a year for overall tree health, we recommend taking the following steps every few months, especially leading up to hurricane season and in January and February, when tornado activity spikes in Florida:
- Cut weak branches that could easily become flying missiles. To reduce the risk of weak branches in the future, trim branches more than 5 feet long and remove Spanish moss.
- Remove branches hanging over your home.
- Contact the local utility company to trim any limbs close to power lines.
- Have an arborist inspect your trees to assess their resistance to future storm damage.