Learning how to stop a tree from growing too tall may help you avoid overcrowding problems in the yard and even potential damage to your property. Tree trimming is one option for tree height control. However, you need to avoid the dangers of mistakes like tree topping, which could kill your specimen outright!
Tree growth regulation is important, but you have to do it right. Learn more below about your options to keep your growing trees thriving and properly managed.
Common Options Arborists Use for Limiting Tree Growth
If you can’t top the tree, how can you keep the tree from growing too tall? Until it reaches the expected height range for the species, it’s difficult to slow or stop the plant from continuing to grow. As such, the most common option for limiting tree growth is a thorough trimming.
Trimming a mature tree with the aim of reducing its height is not an amateur job. Even if you have the skills, tools, and safety gear required to trim branches far above the ground in the canopy, there are myriad risk factors that come into play. Trimming the canopy to limit upward growth requires careful consideration, and taking more than one-fourth of the canopy off at one time or removing the wrong branches could severely weaken the tree.
Arborists know how to stop a tree from growing too tall by trimming it in the right way and at the right time. A licensed professional can also create a plan for pruning branches to deliver the longest-lasting and safest results. Removing certain branches may even give you two or three years of protection instead of requiring an annual visit.
Can You Stop a Tree’s Growth With Chemicals?
You might consider plant growth regulators for limiting the growth of a tree, which involves applying injectable hormones near the base of the trunk. Other regulators drench the soil or spray the plant’s leaves. Either way, these products can reduce the tree’s new shoots.
If the hormones work, the tree’s growth will slow considerably. The right chemicals and applications might even stop the growth completely before the plant reaches the expected height range for the species. However, not all trees do well with plant growth regulators.
Improper application of the regulators could cause discoloration or shock the tree. Consult a local arborist about whether this is viable before you apply anything to your tall trees!
Signs That a Tree Is Getting Too Tall
Before looking into how to stop a tree from growing too tall, you may want to decide whether the tree’s growth is actually problematic.
Measuring the Height of the Tree
Professional arborists can help with accurately measuring tree height. With this measurement in hand, the professionals can determine whether the tree is close to its expected height or has a way to go. If the tree is growing taller than the expected range for the species, it could become brittle and weak, posing a concern.
Encroaching On Other Trees
If you have one large tree’s canopy that is spreading over the tops of the other trees in your yard, it may affect the health of everything below it by blocking sunlight. If tall trees’ branches rub against branches from other shorter trees, both trees could suffer damage or pass insects and diseases back and forth. Limiting the spread and growth of the taller tree could help the health of all the nearby trees and the other plants and flowers beneath them.
Growing Too Close To Buildings
If a tree is getting so large that it’s hanging over a home or garage, it could be a dangerous situation when branches break loose unexpectedly or scrape against the materials. Trimming the tree is usually the best option for protecting buildings. However, arborists might have some other ideas for how to limit the growth and still protect your buildings over the years.
Threatening Overhead Power Lines
One of the most dangerous signs of a tree that’s growing too tall is proximity to overhead electrical lines. If the tree’s branches grow around the power lines, they could increase the risk of a power outage as branches break loose in storms and fall on or snap the line. The most common solution when a tall tree’s branches are too close to a power line is trimming, but staying safe while working near power lines dozens of feet above the ground requires a professional tree care expert.
Take Care Of the Tall Tree Problem From the Start By Creating a Careful Planting Plan
Rather than figuring out how to stop a tree from growing too tall, why not ensure the problem doesn’t happen at all? Before planting any trees in your yard, consult with a certified arborist about:
- A recommended layout for the trees on your property to prevent overlapping or issues with overhead power lines once the trees mature.
- An idea of which trees are compatible with each other and can thrive even as they all reach the expected height at maturity.
- What to do for trees that grow at a far faster rate and could reach a tall height, blocking sunlight for the slower-growing trees.
An arborist can tell you how to address these challenges and plan everything down to the last detail. A tree expert will also take the root spread into account when creating a plan for which species to plant in different locations in your yard.
Tree Care Inc. Has Answers To All Your Concerns Over Trees Growing Too Tall and More
Determining how to stop a tree from growing too tall while protecting its health is challenging, but our certified arborists at Tree Care Inc. can help. We have solutions for safe pruning techniques and crown reduction that manage the tree’s health while preventing overgrowth. We also pay attention to the other end of the tree with root management techniques and options for slowing or stopping tree root growth and spread. To learn more or to request a free cost estimate, contact us today.
