Parks, Recreation & Leisure

Parks, Recreation & Leisure / Parks & Forestry

Tree Talk

Landscaping Tips | Plant of the Month | Tree Talk

Pruning
February is the month when winter seems to drag interminably but I am cheered seeing my witch hazel 'Sunburst' in full bloom outside my living room window. Witch hazel (Hamamelis species) will never rival the forsythia in splendor but there is little else to rival its blooms in my garden right at the moment.

This is the perfect time of year to do major tree pruning. One can best see limb and branch structure when trees are leafless and this is also a time when tree professionals are less busy and can more easily schedule work.

Small trees can be pruned by the homeowner with little trouble. Pruning is very important in guiding and shaping a young tree to give the best mature specimen. (Not unlike the raising of children). Most non clump form trees benefit from being trimmed to a single leader and sharp V shaped crotches should be eliminated to prevent weak structured trees that can break in storms. Branches should always be cut back to another branch, stubs should be avoided as they ruin the natural shape of a tree and lead to water sprouts, weakness and rot. It is also important to remove appropriate lower branches back to the trunk in single leader deciduous trees to allow for opening up the landscape and to allow activity to occur under the tree. This also helps to give filtered light rather than dense shade which allows for underplanting of grass and or shade loving perennials. Most trees resent constant digging over their root systems and for this reason it is best not to plant annuals right around the base of a tree. Magnolias with their shallow fleshy roots particularly dislike any digging around their base. It is also unwise to plant perennial ivy around the base of a tree as the ivy can give a winter hiding place to nesting mice and voles who will feed on the bark of certain species. I have seen mature crabapples almost completely girdled in this fashion, resulting in the death of the trees. Ivy climbing into trees can hide any number of structural problems and the trees are better off without the competition.

Shearing of trees should almost never be done. Star magnolias (Magnolia stellata) are often planted as foundation shrubs and when they start to grow into the trees they really are people attack them with hedge shears. This usually results in loss of the next seasons flowers and ruins the natural shape of the tree. Trees subjected to frequent shearing or topping because of inappropriate siting are usually left unsightly by the disfigurement and are best removed and replaced by smaller growing plants.

Large trees are best trimmed by professionals with the necessary equipment and insurance. It is particularly important to have aging specimens of weak wooded trees such as silver maples and cottonwoods evaluated and trimmed as needed to prevent the inconvenience caused by limbs crashing through you or your neighbors roof during a storm. Cabling and thinning are all services which can prolong the use and enjoyment mature trees give to your landscape.

Parks & Forestry Division
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5340