We Love Trees
At Top Choice we love trees. All sorts of trees. When we started improving the landscape at our shop, the first thing we did was plant new trees, followed closely by taking better care of the beautiful native oaks on the lot. We planted trees before we even thought of putting down nice grass – and we love lawns (we are a Lawn Care company after all!)
Part of caring for our trees is regular tree trimming. Trimming the trees helps them look great, but it’s good for the health of the trees too. When we trim trees we remove unhealthy growth. This includes dead/damaged branches, weak limbs, crossing and rubbing branches, and removing ‘water sprouts’ – those little branches popping up all over the main trunk.
If you ignore routine trimming, trees will actually self-prune. Branches will die and eventually fall out of the canopy all by themselves. Usually with the help of a strong storm. The results are typically less than ideal, with masses of dead wood raining out of the trees whenever a storm rolls through. The broken branches can also cause large ragged wounds in the tree that can take a long time to heal. The wounds can lead to disease, and in some cases the trees can even die.
When a tree is properly trimmed, the wounds are minimized. The branches are cut in a way that encourages the trees to heal cleanly. It also helps avoid damage to houses or property caused by branches flying around in heavy wind.
Trimming also helps keep our landscape usable. We often trim up the tree canopy so we can walk or drive under the tree. Yards with a lot of trees can feel small and enclosed, but raising the canopies can open up the space and make the yard feel larger. It will also open up the space so air can circulate freely. The air helps dry out the space some, which limits
mosquitoes, and helps limit the spread of fungi.
Oak Trees
With oak trees we have to be a little more careful. To keep our oaks healthy we have always avoided is trimming our oak trees in the spring. Spring is the danger zone for the spread of Oak Wilt. Oak Wilt is a fungal disease that can destroy oak trees, spreading from the original infected tree to other trees in the yard and neighborhood. Oak wilt is bad news.
What can be done about this horrible disease? The best medicine is prevention. In this case, clean the tools regularly, paint the wounds on the oak trees, and only prune oaks from July through January. As the summer heat settles over the Austin area, and we start trimming Oaks again. Oak tree trimming season is here!
Teen Facial Hair
Are your oak trunks covered with small branches? Sort of like the thin stubble on an overly proud pre-pubescent teen? Doesn’t look great. We can help. How about that branch that has been brushing the top of your car as you pull out of your garage? It’s time to fix that. We don’t touch the upper canopies of oaks, but we are perfectly capable of taking care of the year to year trimming needed closer to the ground.
Some additional information on Oak Wilt from the City of Austin.
http://www.austintexas.gov/blog/oak-wilt-101