Mountain Pine Beetle Program | Tree Care | Plant Health Care | Consultations | Treatments | Terms and Conditions
We offer many accepted cultural pruning practices in our Tree Care program. Tree trimming can take many forms and serve many purposes. We prune trees and shrubs for either aesthetics, function or plant health. For the purposes of our business we have our pruning techniques broken out into specific categories and types. We typically specify the size of branches to be removed by diameter inch. If none is specified we default this size to ½” for live limbs to be removed and 1” for dead limbs.
Clean canopy: The selective pruning of dead, diseased or broken limbs from the tree canopy.
Clean and thin canopy: The selective pruning of crossing, heavy and other structurally inferior tree parts to allow for more air and light into the center of the tree and establish or maintain healthy tree architecture.
Raise canopy: This is done automatically, unless specifically declined, 8’ over sidewalks and 14’ over streets and driveways. It is also a term for limbs to be directionally pruned or removed over any structures, paths, turf areas or any other defined areas.
Restoration: This is a pruning type performed when correcting previous pruning cuts or to attempt to maintain a tree after a storm or other event causing apical dominant limbs and leaders to be destroyed. A lateral is chosen in an attempt to establish it as the new apical dominant leader.
Reduce canopy: Reduction cuts are used to reduce tip weight and shift growth into lateral twigs and branches. A specific technique also used in restoration practices.
Vista prune: Pruning with reduction cuts and directional pruning to achieve a line of sight sufficient to expose a desired view point.
Pollarding: The establishment of a “knuckle” and annual winter cutting of the previous years growth.
Shearing: The shearing off of annual growth. Typically performed only on certain types of shrubbery where regular reduction cuts won’t achieve the final shape and appearance desired.
Cabling & Bracing: This is a very important technique for reducing the risk of failure in trees with poor structure or damaged branch unions. We adhere to ANSI standards which are backed by much research and practical field use.
Air Spading: This involves the use of highly specialized equipment in order to remove soil around the the roots of trees without causing major damage to the main roots. This is done in order to inspect or prune the roots. It is also a method for remediating soil compaction and inducing a change in the physical properties of the soil.