It's that time of year again, when we look at our trees and think, "Whew, I do NOT want to rake up any more leaves than I have to!"
Seriously, though, for many of the trees in our neighborhood, this is a good time for tree pruning/trimming, so let's discuss some of the key considerations, such as:
- Timing
- DIY or hire?
- Making a good cut
- Disposal
The frequency of when to prune your trees and when to prune them, varies by the type of tree. In this case, Google is your friend. It can get quite complicated.
Let's take the tree in the picture, a Live Oak. Some folks say that you should avoid pruning in the first half of the year and others may tell you that it does not matter when you cut it. However, there are better times and worse times.
Oak wilt is a serious problem for oak trees. It is spread both through beetles and root contact between trees. The beetles are attracted by the aroma of freshly-cut oak. You prune, they follow the smell, the fungus spreads from them, and the oak wilt takes hold.
Because of this, it has recently been recommended that you paint oak cuts within ten minutes. This is not recommended for other trees as this practice retards healing, but for oaks it is considered the lesser of two evils. The goal is to seal the cut so the fragrance does not attract beetles. You can use spray lacquer/varnish, paint, or something similar. Bear in mind that if you use a colored paint, you are going to be stuck with that color.
But it turns out the beetles are most active from February through June. So, if you avoid pruning an oak in the first half of the year, you naturally reduce your risk from infection due to beetles.
It is also advisable to disinfect your tools with a spray disinfectant (e.g., Lysol).
Be sure to research your tree's needs or consult an expert.
DIY or Hire?
Should you do it yourself (DIY) or hire someone? Ultimately, this is a personal decision. The usual reasons for hiring someone are.
- Cutting tall trees is dangerous work
- Expertise of an arborist
- Avoid the heavy work of pruning and disposal
If you do decide to hire someone, get a few quotes. There are many services out there and they can be quite variable in their pricing. If you want an arborist involved, be sure to explicitly confirm that they will use an arborist. Arborists will cost more, but they definitely increase the quality and safety of pruning your trees.
Making a Good Cut
If you do decide to go the DIY route, make sure that you understand how to properly perform a 3-point cut on larger branches to avoid ripping the bark. This video discusses this at the 1:20 mark.
Disposal
If you're like me, you might be surprised at how much space those trimming take up. So, be sure you area ready to deal with it if you are going the DIY route. The good news is that the city will pick up your trimmings on trash day. The details are on this city page. Currently, the blurb you want is this one:
Place tree trimmings and brush piles in neat, manageable piles (see picture below). The piles may not exceed the following dimensions: 6 feet in length, 4 feet in height, and 4 feet in width. Larger trunk pieces and/or stumps weighing more than 50 lbs.(each) should be placed in separate piles than smaller brush. It is not required to tie or bundle piles.
Our fellow neighbors further informed me that the crews that come to pick them up will pull the trimmings into a mechanical feeder. So, we can make their job easier and quicker by not going too far cutting up our trimmings. A nice balance between manageable and unwieldy. This is a good thing as the crews are instructed to spend no more than 15 minutes on a given property per week.
If you have questions, be sure to call the City or ask your neighbors (as I did) on creekbendestatesplano.nextdoor.com.
Good luck!
