There are a number of reasons why you planted trees at your home. You wanted a place where your family could relax, a spot for some shade, and even a bit of screening from your neighbors’ yards. Over the years you’ve watched your trees grow and you’ve come to appreciate them even more for those benefits.
Because your home is under 20 years’ old, you’re not sure there’s much more to do other than watch your trees grow. They seem to be doing well—you just want to be sure to keep them that way.
The truth is that even if your trees look great now, a very uncertain future lies ahead if you fail to ever perform any proactive tree trimming at your Allentown, PA home. But your fate doesn’t have to be sealed. After all, you wouldn’t let your car go unserviced for years and years and then suddenly act shocked that something went wrong with it. You practice preventative maintenance in order to keep it running.
As tree care specialists that have been working with trees for a long time we aren’t just guessing at what the future may hold for trees that go uncared for—we have seen it first hand. There is nothing worse for us, as tree professionals, than to see large-scale problems that could have been more easily addressed had our customer reached out 10 or 20 years’ sooner. We only wish we could go back in time and warn homeowners with young trees what the future will hold for them. While we haven’t quite figured out the time travel dilemma, we are trying our best to get the word out to Allentown area owners of properties that are 20 years old or newer. We want them to know that taking care of their trees now really does matter.
What is Tree Pruning and Why Does it Matter?
Tree pruning is the process of removing specific branches or stems in order to benefit the tree as a whole.
While the proper term is “pruning,” people often use the term “trimming” to refer to the same process. For the purposes of this article, we’ll use these terms interchangeably, as we find that most people do.
So why exactly do you need to prune (or trim) your trees and when should you start? The two main reasons for pruning a tree are for the tree’s overall health as well as for structural purposes. This is something that is important to start doing while the tree is still young.
Tree Pruning to Address Decay & Dead Wood
Even though a tree is young, it is still going to have decaying or dead tissue in it at some point. When a tree is young, if you make a pruning cut, the tree will isolate that injury in a process called “compartmentalization” so that it doesn’t cause more problems. You may see this compartmentalization of pruning cuts on the outside of your tree, but it also happens internally on the interior of the pruning cuts.
A pruning cut is essentially a calculated injury to the tree but when performed by a tree professional, it’s made in the right way, on the right spot, in order to minimize damage. In the end, eliminating the decay and dead wood through tree trimming services in Allentown, PA, is better for the overall health of the tree.
If you trim your trees while they are young, you will prevent future problems. But if you wait to perform trimming when that dead wood has become a large branch, the decay is much more likely to have begun to spread and affect other parts of the tree. You’re now looking at a much bigger problem than had a skilled arborist plucked out those small branches while they were still tiny and before they could wreak havoc.
Tree Pruning to Address Structural Defects
In addition, tree pruning can also correct structural problems and help train your tree for better future growth. If you fail to trim your trees while they are young, this is a missed opportunity.
Removing select branches earlier in your trees life can prevent future issues from occurring. Problems like low branches, crossing and touching limbs, and excessive weight on weak areas are easily remedied when your tree is young. Plus doing so proactively can save you money.
Cost of Preventative Care vs. Cost of Removal
It is difficult to put an exact monetary amount on the value of a tree. That’s because the enjoyment that a tree brings to your property, particularly a mature tree that you have had for many years, is probably worth more than any dollar figure you could tie to it. But there is actually a tangible cost saving when it comes to maintaining your trees and practicing preventative maintenance.
The one-time cost to prune a mature shade tree is typically between $800 to $1,500+, depending on factors such as species, size, spread, location, and more. But the one-time cost to remove a mature shade tree could be anywhere from $1,700 to $4,500+, dependent upon the same variables. That’s at least double, but likely more than the cost of pruning.
You must also consider that if you first prune your trees when they are very young, then your future pruning costs could be substantially less due to the fact that fewer cuts are necessary in the years to follow. These proactive pruning cost savings also have that added benefit of better overall health of your tree.
It’s also worth noting that trees which are left uncared for and become problematic over time can create cost risks with the potential damage they may cause. A tree limb that falls on your house, your car, or even worse, a person, can become a financial nightmare.
Where to Begin with Tree Services in Allentown, PA
If you have trees on your property, then the first step is to have them looked at by a professional arborist who can provide an assessment and give you a game plan as to what your trees will require. Fear not, tree trimming does not need to happen every year. But trees cannot just be ignored or you can be sure that your future will be ripe with problems.
There are many companies that offer tree services in Allentown, PA, but don’t trust something as valuable as your trees to just anyone. You want to be sure to choose a company that truly has long-term expertise. A company that has seen a variety of problems over the years will also know from experience how to deal with them.
Tree work is incredibly complex and not something that every company specializes in. Look for a company that has ISA Certified Arborists on staff who will understand your trees’ needs and work with you to prevent problems in their lifetime.
Your Smart Choices Now Will Bring Future Benefits
So often we don’t really know the kind of impact that the decisions we make will have on our futures. But with pruning, we can tell you with assured certainty, that choosing to do it while your trees are still young will make a huge difference.
It will improve the overall health of your tree, it will save you money, and it will save you from headaches. So often, the calls we get are for 20+-year-old homes that require major pruning and have serious issues, all because there was no preventative maintenance performed. But if you’re proactive, this doesn’t have to happen to you.
In the end, your wise choice in tree trimming services in Allentown, PA, and its surrounding areas, will set your trees up for long-term success.
If you’d like the trees at your Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton, PA home assessed and would like to learn more about our tree trimming services, contact us for a free consultation. Then let us help protect your valuable investment in your trees.
