If you have many trees on your property, then you may want to ensure the good health of the plants. This is one reason why it is a good choice to prune your trees. However, there are some things about pruning that some people believe that are actually quite detrimental to the health of your trees. Keep reading to learn a little bit about these things, why they are unlikely to assist your trees, and what you should really be doing.

Myth — Aggressive Pruning Encourages Growth

Some people will prune new or young trees aggressively in an attempt to encourage substantial growth. It is true that this type of pruning will cause the tree to produce a great many new shoots. However, this also weakens the tree substantially. Specifically, the new growth requires a great deal of resources and this can weaken the tree overall and make it more susceptible to diseases and fungal infections. 

Also, if you prune most of the tree, then there will be fewer leaves. This can substantially reduce the ability of the tree to engage in photosynthesis. Since this is how the tree produces energy, energy reserves can continue to deplete. You may then see stagnant growth soon after the initial growing period. The tree may then become dormant for some time and this will completely negate the reason why you pruned so aggressively in the first place.

Myth — Topping Is A Good Way To Stunt Tall Growth

Some people are concerned about the height of their trees and want them to grow outward instead of upward. This is one reason why individuals will top a tree. Topping is the process of cutting down the very top of the tree to substantially reduce height. While this will create the intended effect, this is extremely harmful to the tree. It causes an extreme injury, even when it is done correctly. 

Topping can leave the top cut susceptible to decay. This decay can then spread throughout the tree and cause partial or full tree death. The topping reduces the tree's ability to create energy through photosynthesis by removing a good portion of the leaves from the top tree area that absorbs the sun's rays. Also, after the injury, the tree will regrow with long shoots fairly quickly. This will produce dense growth that will contribute to height once again.

If the top part of your tree is in poor health, then speak with a tree trimming expert about partial topping that occurs in stages to gently reduce the top portion of the tree. For more information, contact a business such as Good Morrow.