Your local arborists will tell you that tree pruning is much more than just cutting off a few branches. When done correctly, pruning improves your tree’s structure, health, and safety to boost its long-term growth.
At Tree Care Inc., our specialists in expert pruning services tailor the work to the unique species and climate conditions found in the Lexington, Kentucky, region. Here, we’ll walk you through the most important types of pruning every property owner should know. Learn about the seven types of tree pruning and when to call our expert team for assistance.
1. How Does Crown Thinning Protect Your Tree From Storm Damage?
Crown thinning is one of the most common and beneficial pruning techniques arborists perform throughout the Lexington region. This method carefully removes selected branches inside the tree’s canopy to reduce density without changing the tree’s natural shape.
For mature trees like oaks, sugar maples, or elms, crown thinning can prevent major storm-related damage. The practice of crown thinning also helps trees by:
- Allowing more air and sunlight to filter through, improving overall tree health
- Reducing wind resistance during Kentucky’s summer storms and ice events
- Lessening the weight of heavy limbs to minimize the risk of branch breakage
The right timing encourages healthier internal growth. For example, late winter through early spring is ideal for this type of pruning in Lexington. That window minimizes the spread of diseases like oak wilt while taking advantage of most trees’ natural dormancy period.
2. Why Choose Crown Reduction Instead of Topping?
When trees outgrow their space, property owners may mistakenly attempt topping. Unfortunately, the risky practice of topping causes severe damage that weakens trees and leads to long-term decline.
Crown reduction offers a much safer, healthier alternative by doing the following instead:
- Selectively shortens longer limbs by cutting back to strong lateral branches
- Preserves the tree’s natural structure while reducing height or spread
- Prevents interference with structures, power lines, or nearby buildings
The precise technique helps protect your property while preserving the beauty of your landscape. That’s why it’s one of the preferred types of pruning for large trees like sycamores, red maples, or aging Bradford pears.
Crown reduction still requires expert skill because improper cuts can compromise the tree’s structural integrity. Always trust an ISA-certified arborist like the team at Tree Care Inc. to handle this specialized pruning method.
3. When Is the Right Time for Crown Raising?
Sometimes, the lower branches of your tree begin to obstruct the driveway, sidewalks, or lawn areas. By clearing lower spaces, crown raising can do the following:
- Create vertical clearance for vehicles, pedestrians, or lawn maintenance
- Enhance curb appeal by opening sightlines to your home
- Encourage better air circulation to the lawn beneath
In Lexington’s residential areas, arborists commonly perform crown raising for red maples, elms, or oaks. These trees need to “lift” their canopies as they mature, especially in tight spaces. Raising the crown provides a great way to enjoy safety and beauty in your property’s outdoor space.
This technique does need caution, as over-raising too many lower limbs at once can stress the tree. Arborists recommend crown raising over several years as the healthiest approach.
4. Why Every Tree Benefits From Deadwooding
Sometimes referred to as crown cleaning, deadwooding removes dead, dying, or broken branches from a tree’s canopy. This is one of the most important preventive measures tree care experts perform year-round because eliminating deadwood protects your property by:
- Eradicating safety hazards from falling limbs
- Preventing decay and pest infestations from spreading
- Improving the tree’s overall appearance
With Lexington’s frequent wind, snow, and ice events, deadwooding is critical for trees like oaks, maples, and pines. Removing dead or ailing limbs proactively reduces the risk of property damage and injury. Arborists can safely perform deadwooding anytime.
5. How Pollarding Offers Long-Term Size Control
Although it’s one of the lesser-used types of pruning in Lexington residential neighborhoods, pollarding has specific applications for some ornamental or urban trees. This aggressive process:
- Drastically cuts young trees back to a fixed framework of branches
- Vigorously encourages dense, compact foliage growth from designated points
- Easily maintains smaller tree size over many years
Species like London plane trees, lindens, or sycamores can tolerate pollarding, but this technique requires lifelong maintenance and expert care. Once you start pollarding, you must maintain it to avoid causing long-term harm to your tree. Even if highly trained professionals perform it, pollarding isn’t appropriate for native species like oaks or maples.
6. Why Formative Pruning Sets Young Trees Up for Healthy Growth
The best time to prevent major structural issues is while your tree is still young. That’s where formative pruning (also called structural pruning) can be beneficial.
As one of the top types of pruning for young trees, the process:
- Shapes a strong, stable framework as the tree matures
- Eliminates weak branch attachments or competing leaders early
- Reduces costly corrective pruning later in life
Lexington homeowners planting redbuds, dogwoods, or newly installed shade trees can greatly extend the specimen’s lifespan and stability by scheduling formative pruning. The first five to ten years after planting are crucial.
7. How Summer Pruning Helps Manage Vigorous Growth
While most heavy pruning should occur during the dormant season, summer pruning offers strategic benefits for certain situations. For example, careful summer pruning can effectively:
- Remove unwanted water sprouts or suckers
- Control overly vigorous shoot growth after the spring flush
- Fine-tune shape and size for ornamental species.
Smaller trees like dogwoods, crabapples, or flowering cherries often benefit from summer pruning to maintain their natural beauty without overstimulating new growth. However, because of the significant risk of damage to growing tissues, this is a job that your local expert arborist should undertake.
Trust Tree Care Inc. For Professional Pruning in Lexington, Kentucky
Pruning isn’t one-size-fits-all. Read our post covering what to expect from professional tree pruning, and remember that each species, property, and objective requires different types of pruning.
If you’re ready to schedule expert service, Tree Care Inc. is here to help. Call us in Lexington today at (859) 347-2237 or contact us online for help in any of the regions we serve to schedule your consultation.
