Trees have grown for millennia without pruning, why should we care now?

Grove of Quaking Aspen in Willow, AK

To answer this question, the first thing we need to establish is the difference between trees in the forest and trees in the landscape.

Trees in the Forest:

Trees in the forest generally grow close together and as a result are very much dependent upon each other while constantly competing for resources.  Intermingling branches and roots provide stability, but this stability comes at the cost of weaker trunk fibers. Basically, trees that aren't able to flex and move with the wind, never form rigid fibers in their trunks and branches. This is why forest trees that are exposed to the open for the first time, often fail, but together, they are able to withstand strong storms with minimal damage. 

Trees also compete with each other for resources, such as day light, water, and nutrients in the soil.  This constant competition causes trees in the forest to grow tall and skinny with minimal branches on fairly straight trunks.  The majority of the foliage and photosynthetic capability resides at the top of the tree, in the forest canopy where it can get the sunlight it needs.  I challenge you to look around the forest the next time you are exploring our beautiful state of Alaska.  Look at the forest canopy and sub-canopy full of birch, spruce, poplar, cottonwood, aspen, alder, willows, and many others and try to find a tree with many branches along the lower trunk. These types of trees don’t usually exist in the forest as their lower branches get shaded out and are shed. Trees along the edge of the forest are called edge trees and the majority of their foliage is spaced along the trunk to maximize photosynthetic capability and to shade the lower trunk, protecting it from the suns harsh rays. Though they have many branches along the lower portion of the trunk, they are often lop sided and only have branches on the sun side.  

Trees in the Landscape:

Trees in the landscape normally don’t have the support network that a forest tree does.  For the most part, they are planted as standalone ornamental trees in a yard or park, with great spacing between trees.  Without the constriction of other trees nearby, landscape trees are able to spread out and produce foliage both up and out creating wide sprawling canopies.  In some cases this is desirable, but left untended these limbs will eventually out grow their holding capability and ultimately fail.  Trees are meant to grow in a forest, and there is a limit to the structural strength of their fibers.  When they meet those limits, they simply break and come crashing down, especially under snow and ice loading.  Unfortunately, by the time branches fail they are usually extremely large and can destroy property or injure people. 

Additionally, trees that are left to grow completely unrestricted can develop many different structural defects including codominant stems and included bark.  These structural defects only compound the issues.  Bear in mind this is best case scenario.  Some times trees are planted in yards in the urban environment where there simply isn’t enough space for them.  As they grow, they begin to interfere with sidewalks, window views, doorways, drainage, etc.  The list can go on and on.  Again, I challenge you, the next time you are walking through your local neighborhood or park be it Anchorage, Eagle River, or the Matsu Valley, look at the trees that mankind has planted there.  These features are all very apparent. 

Pruning:

Quality pruning of a landscape tree can do many things for both the tree and humans that live with it.  You can see this daily on your drive to work when you look at power lines.  Line clearance arborists are out daily clearing the power lines and keeping your lights on through pruning.  Keep in mind that is a very basic idea of pruning and more often than not, the aesthetics of line clearance are less than appealing.  That is also the difference between clearance and appearance. 

At Polar Tree and Engine Care, we focus on the health and appearance of your tree.  We follow all regionally published guidelines and American National Standards Institute Tree Care Standards.  Quality proper pruning focuses on simulating the natural shading process of limbs through pruning and ensuring the tree has the opportunity to stave off bacterial and fungal infection.  Improper pruning practices and cuts can open your trees to infection and cause undue stress or even death.  If your trees are starting to interfere with your day to day life, give us a call. We develop pruning plans that clearly state the objectives you want with a plan to accomplish those objectives without causing your tree undue stress.  We would love to sit down and talk about how to properly return your trees back to a state that you enjoyed looking at and coexisting with them.