Local Tree Pruning Wirral & Surrounds

Tree Pruning Wirral Service

We offer a professional tree trimming and pruning service that promotes three things: the safety of your tree, the health and vitality of your tree, and its look and aesthetic. Tree pruning can also stimulate fruit and flower growth and together with tree trimming and removal Wirral customers have a range of services they can call on us for.

• Safety
  In terms of safety, tree pruning to remove branches that could fall and cause damage to your property, or personal injury if they fall, are the core concerns of clients. But also, part of our service can include branches that interfere with your view, obstruct your driveway or grow into utility lines.
  
  
• Health and vitality
  For tree health and vitality, pruning is conducted with a focus on carefully removing: diseased and decayed branches, thinning the crown to increase air flow and reduce the chance of insect infestations, and removing branches that are rubbing against each other which can cause them to become weakened, wounded and infected.
  
  
• Aesthetic
  Pruning can be used as a method to develop a strong structure and shape. 'Formative tree pruning' in particular, which is the pruning of a tree from its young state during the early years of it growth, can help to establish a specific shape and form that the client desires, to avoid it growing into their property for example, and to correct areas of concern that might affect the trees structure in later life.
  
  

Reasons for tree trimming and pruning

1. For protection and prevention
   Pruning involves removing weak or broken branches, for example if they have become diseased, weather damaged of infested with insects. By removing the damages branches it reduced the risk of the the rest of the tree becoming infected and preserves the overall health of the tree.
   
   
2. Improves the growth rate
   Trimming a tree keeps the tree in a youthful state and encourages new shoots and growth. It can also be used to control the the growth of fast growing shoots.
   
   
3. Improves tree health and vitality
   Can be used as a method to improve how likely a tree can survive by removing dead or diseased branches and preventing decay from affecting the rest of the tree. And pruning can allow more light to pass through the whole tree crown to enable it to flourish, and prevent it from getting too close to other trees and having its growth stunted.
   
   
4. Increases a trees longevity
   When a trees is regularly trimmed and maintained it has more of a chance to live longer than ones that aren't. Some trimming techniques can increase certain trees' resilience to snow, ice and stormy weather conditions. And trimming branches that cross and rub with others also assists in the trees overall longevity.
   
   
5. Improves the aesthetic
   Our service is often employed by clients to improve the aesthetics of their trees and to reduce the size in order to improve the view around them. And some trimming techniques can activate more flowering, fruit and blossom to grow, as well as alter the shape and size of the crown.
   

Difference between tree trimming and tree pruning

The terms 'trimming' and 'pruning' are often used interchangeably, but they are two very different techniques that each have their own purposes.

Trimming is a technique to remove excess branches in order to preserve the shape, size and look of a tree. When a tree is trimmed, the remaining foliage is activated to grow thicker and faster than if it were not trimmed, and it can also reduce how crowded trees that are planted close together can become. When performed in the right way, by a professional, trimming benefits trees, but if performed by an amateur and more than 20% is removed in one go, the tree risks being harmed irreversibly.

Pruning is undertaken with attention to removing dead, diseased or damaged branches and to improve tree health and vitality. Without pruning, trees can become unattractive looking and potentially more prone to becoming diseased. Pruning also improves the flow of light and air through the tree that benefits the lower branches and often leads to more fruit and flowering.

How often is tree trimming and pruning needed?

Both trimming and pruning your trees are important maintenance tasks that should be conducted on a regular basis. And although both trimming and pruning are important to maintain a trees aesthetics, they are conducted at different moments in it lifespan. Tree trimming is usually needed once a year for young trees and shrubs. As your tree grows older and larger, it will grow more branches which will start to shade out other areas of the tree and encourage new growth that over time become too big for the structure of the tree. This can ultimately cause structural failure or for the wood to split, particularly on larger tree and how often a tree needs to be trimmed depends on how fast it grows. In general, deciduous trees like oaks, elms and maple trees need to be trimmed more often than evergreens because they experience faster growth.

Pruning is not needed as frequently as trimming and The Tree Surgeons Wirral recommends this service once every two to three years. Clients wih ornamental trees and shrubs are in need of a pruning service more than those with fruit or shade trees and again how often their trees need to be pruned depends on what kind of tree it is, how fast it grows and what the client is trying to achieve. Evergreens have less growth and don't usually require pruning unless they have dead or dying branches, but for deciduous trees pruning tends to be every two or three years.

Formative pruning

Formative pruning is the specialised technique of shaping a tree when it is young, that is,  carried out within the first ten years of its life. Each tree species has its own natural growth pattern, but fruit trees that do not have formative pruning undertaken tend to produce smaller and lower quality fruit than those that do, because their crowns becomes more cluttered with branches.

Formative pruning encourages the crown to grow into a healthy structure through shortening branches selectively or removing branches where needed to prevent clashes and crossing with other branches, allowing a young sapling the optimal chance to grow in a balanced and structurally secure way.

Whether your tree is in need of tree trimming or pruning, or you're interested in our formative pruning service, The Tree Surgeons Wirral would be happy to help. Call us today with any questions and for a free quote and please leave a message if we are out on a job. Alternatively fill in our online form to request a call back.