Tree pruning is the largest component of maintaining both an aesthetically pleasing and safe environment at your facility. Proper tree care starts with pruning.
Pruning refers to the removal of tree branches, buds or roots as needed to maintain the tree’s optimal health and the safety of people and buildings around them.
Our team of certified arborists can create a custom maintenance plan for you depending on your trees’ and location’s unique needs. We are also Certified Utility Arborists, familiar with all methods of maintaining safety around power lines for any size job.
Learn more about the pruning services we offer below, or call us at 604-533-9757 to talk through which options would be best for you.
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Why is Tree Pruning Important?
Safety of People and Buildings
Safety is the number one priority for any pruning or tree care job. The natural beauty of trees make our public spaces beautiful, help filter the air and generally provide a sense of peace to customers and tenants.
But none of that can come at the expense of safety.
To put it bluntly, trees that aren’t pruned appropriately or regularly are a danger to everyone around them. They could become diseased or weakened by the elements and fall over onto a person with devastating consequences.
They could also fall onto buildings, causing huge amounts of property damage and expenses, not to mention the stress and downtime of dealing with that.
All it takes to keep your buildings and the people in them safe is regular scheduled pruning maintenance, so that our team can take care of any problem trees before they make problems for you.
Tree Health
A pruned tree is a happy tree.
Regular pruning keeps trees strong, resistant to disease and insects and growing to their optimal ability. Pruned trees are vibrant and beautiful additions to any landscape.
Regularly pruning a tree can take care of any problem branches before they become a magnet for fungi, insects or other signs of decay that can then spread to the rest of the tree. Pruning regularly means we only have to remove small amounts of a branch to curb any negative effects.
In trees that haven’t been pruned for a long time, for the same effect we often have to remove entire branches, which can both look unsightly and be detrimental to the tree’s long-term health.
As with most health concerns, it’s always better to nip it in the bud! (Where do you think that phrase came from?)
Cost Savings
Think of tree pruning as oil changes and tire rotations for your car.
Maintaining the health of your trees with regular pruning extends their lives and can prevent costly emergency repairs, like falling on buildings causing property damage, or even being unsafe for people to be near.
Types of Pruning We Do
This list covers the common types we do, though we have dealt with many challenging and unique situations before.
Not sure what you need? Not to worry — our arborists will visit your site to determine the best maintenance package for your needs. You don’t need to do anything besides give us a call.
Sidewalk Clearance
No one wants to walk down a sidewalk or pathway at your facility and get hit by branches sticking out as they walk by, or have to duck under them. More than just a nuisance, this can actually result in serious injury if someone gets poked in the eye with a branch.
As well, it is not accessible for wheelchair users who may not be able to go around branches sticking out.
Besides the safety and accessibility concerns, stray branches don’t look great. Our pruning services will keep your space accessible, safe and tidy looking.
Building Clearance
Tree branches pushing up against your building are not only unsightly but can damage your building and impact your insurance eligibility as well.
Most insurance companies require trees to be at least 3’ away from any walls or the roof, and if that’s not the case, they may not pay for any damages caused by those trees.
The most common type of damage to buildings from trees is to the roof. Branches can grow into the roof or over top of the roof, applying pressure that could damage or break shingles, or cause rot from wet wood saturating the roof.
Of course, having branches so close to the roof also means that if a strong storm occurred, they could easily fall onto the roof causing major damage.
Shape and Aesthetics
Part of pruning is cosmetic. Of course you want your facility to look its best and properly shaped and uniform trees are a big part of the first appearance your location makes to customers, tenants and the general public.
Aesthetics aren’t just for human eyes, either. It can also significantly boost the real value of your property.
Crown Cleaning, Thinning and Lifting
A tree’s crown is the part where all branches and leaves grow and makes up the majority of the tree.
Crown cleaning is the most basic type of pruning, but basic doesn’t mean simple. All pruning tasks should only be carried out by certified arborists. Amateurs can easily damage the structure and integrity of a tree by making the wrong types of cuts or removing not enough or too many branches.
Crown cleaning is the act of removing dead or diseased branches as needed to ensure a tree continues to stay healthy.
Crown thinning is when branches are selectively removed to make the tree less “full” looking. It is typically done to allow more light through the tree, and increase air flow. Our team is always careful not to remove too many branches, which can jeopardize the tree’s health.
Crown lifting removes branches near the tree’s base to allow more space under the tree. This is typically done near building entrances, over sidewalks and other areas people or vehicles need to pass through.
Overall Tree Health
We use a combination of all the pruning methods above, plus others, to take care of trees in every unique location and situation we’re in. The climate, type of facility and goals of our clients also impact how we address each tree service.
Our goal with all clients is to provide the highest quality tree care services that prioritize health and safety of humans first, and the health of trees after that.
Get a Custom Lower Mainland Tree Pruning Quote Today
Proper pruning ensures healthy, vibrant trees with a long lifespan and low maintenance costs over their lifetime by preventing rot, disease and decay.
Contact Russ Thomson at 604-807-0500 or Russ.Thomson@teamhorizon.com to talk about your location. We’d be happy to put together a custom pruning and maintenance schedule and quote for your unique needs.