Creative tree trimming, the rules don’t always apply.

Creative tree trimming, the rules don’t always apply.

Most guidelines for tree pruning are built around the idea that all trees already have good health/structural-integrity and have good growing conditions. Well, let me tell you this is not normally the case. Many tree trimming calls I go on here in Austin, Texas require creative techniques to help the tree fit inside its urban environment. The main topic I really want to discuss here is tree topping.

The standard rule for this is don’t do it. Tree topping is usually not a good tree trimming technique. We’re talking about cutting the ends off the branches of the tree. I’m 100% positive that trees don’t grow limbs so we can have something to cut, and I’m 100% positive that the leaves on the ends of those branches are making food for the tree. But, there are some situations where the tree topping technique can be used in an appropriate manner. Let’s look at “vista pruning.” Literally translated as view pruning, the goal of this is to improve a scenic view. You’d have to live in the hill country to understand this. Many people will spend half of their life-savings for a beautiful house on the side of the tallest hill over looking a beautiful canyon, and within a few years the backyard trees have grown up and block the entire view. Can we cut the tops of the branches down in height without ruining the tree?

Let me give you one little factoid about the native trees living on the hill country slopes: their average life expectancy is about 40 years. Trees growing on the side of steep rocky slopes have difficult time rooting solidly. I would argue that pruning the top of a tree down in height accomplishes two things here. One, by reducing the height of the tree you are reducing its over all weight, and, therefore, reducing gravity’s efforts to pull it down the hillside. Secondly, maintaining limited canopy size reduces strain on the root system to find water and nutrients, two commodities in short supply on the side of a hill. I do believe that you can functionally maintain the height of a tree on a hillside to improve your view.

Please don’t take this too far. I’m not advocating that all trees on hill sides be topped. I’m just saying that it can be done in a manner that would allow the tree to live its normal life expectancy. If you are going to do some vista-pruning, do so cautiously; leave as much foliage on the tree as possible.

For info on proper pruning techniques, please see my tree trimming series.