Every property owner wants to ensure that any trees in their yard or on their land remain healthy and attractive. One of the best ways to keep your trees in good shape is to trim or prune them regularly. It's very easy to make mistakes when trimming your trees, however. This article takes a look at some of the most common errors property owners are liable to make when performing this important maintenance task.

Wrong Tool

Using the wrong tool for the job is going to make trimming your trees more difficult and will also increase the chances that you will prune them improperly. For example, if a branch is high on the tree, don't try and reach it with a ladder. Use a pole pruner. For lower branches that you can reach easily, use a pruning saw or lopper. The pruning saw is for more solid branches and the lopper is for branches that are relatively easy to cut through. Also, for safety reasons, avoid using a chainsaw. If you have a branch that must be cut with a chainsaw, hire a professional tree trimming service to do the job.

Bad Cut

Another frequently seen pruning error is when the trimmer cuts too close or too far from the optimal spot of the branch. Never make a cut that is either too short or too long. The cut should be close to the branch collar without cutting into the collar. You do not want to cut the collar or leave a stub. Doing either one interferes with the trees ability to recover from the pruning.

Sealing

Trimming a branch leaves a wound on the tree. Some people mistakenly believe that placing a sealer over the pruning cut will help the tree deal with any damage to the tree's tissue . This is not the case. The tree will contend with the pruning by using its own natural defenses. As long as the cut is done with the proper technique, the tree should not be harmed. Placing pruning sealer over the cut does not help the tree and may even do damage, according to New Mexico State University.

Trimming your trees is a great way to keep them looking nice and helping them grow strong and healthy. But, as this article shows, it's possible to mistakes during the pruning process that could damage your trees. To avoid the risk of doing any harm, contact a tree trimming professional, like those at Houston Tree Service Team.