Tree Pruning
Almost everyone knows that trees and other living plants are valuable. They beautify our surroundings, purify our air, act as sound barriers, manufacture precious oxygen, and help us save energy through their cooling shade in summer and their wind reduction in winter. This is why it is vital for a Community to invest in frequent and proper tree pruning. Desert trees like Ironwood, Mesquite, Palo Verde, and others should be trimmed and thinned during the winter months.
AAA Landscape follows and recommends the standards adopted by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) as outlined in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300-2001 Pruning and ANSI Z133.1-2000 when pruning trees:
• Crown Cleaning (removal of lower branches to provide clearance for view and/or traffic)
• Crown Thinning (selective removal of branches to reduce weight and increase air and light penetration not to exceed 20% of the total volume of canopy)
• Crown Reduction (removal of leader or lateral branches using proper heading cuts to reduce size, i.e. reduce leader or lateral to a branch that is at least 1/3 diameter of the branch being removed)
• Crown Restoration (removal of improperly pruned branches to restore more natural shape)
Even when following the above specification, it is recommended that you not remove more than 20% of the tree’s canopy at a time. Having an ISA Certified Arborist plan your work and ISA Certified Tree Worker on the ground doing the work helps promote educated and experienced decisions when pruning your trees. Investing in proper tree pruning can save your Community time, money and nuisance.
