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Beauty or Beast

view sign enlarged (pdf/511kb/1p)		Beautiful, healthy trees create welcome shade and increase property values.  Improper pruning destroys natural form, compromises branch strength and shortens their lifespan. Don't Top Trees! Pruning that removes branches indiscriminately, leaving branch stubs behind, is called topping. Reducing foliage by topping forces rapid sprouting of new growth that breaks off easily. On mature trees, large weakly attached branches are unsafe. Topping a tree to control its size often creates the opposite effect. Sprouts must grow quickly to provide foliage for photosynthesis or the tree may "starve" and die. In a short time a tree may return to the original size or surpass it. If tree size must be reduced, a certified arborist can perform selective pruning methods to help maintain strong structure and natural form.
Visit the Mesquite Bosque classroom at the Garden to learn more about pruning.

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