How improper prunning practices are harmful to tree health and homeowner finances:

Within the treecare industry, there can be vast discrepancies regarding the level of professionalism and expertise offered amongst various companies(not always correlating with contract prices or overall value offered). So, It is common-place to encounter predatory outfits attempting to charge the highest prices for the lowest quality work.

Almost everyday, we encounter sick or diseased trees which have been maimed or damaged by improper/uniformed prunning techniques.

Often these improper prunning techniques are even performed intentionally with knowledge of the negative impact that they can have(all for the sake of convenience and higher profit margins).

A few examples of which being:

1.) Stub Cuts

One of the most common technical handbook violations that we commonly encounter is the incorporation of internodal cuts(otherwise known as “stub cuts”).

These types of stub cuts can cause unnecessary heartwood exposure and they fail to leverage the regenerative potential of a trees sapwood and its defensive healing zones(found at the collar of branches and limbs)

As proper pruning cuts, performed at defensive zones, allow for a more complete healing process, due to the prevalence of live sapwood tissues which are full of vital enzymes, antioxidants, tannins, polyphenols, and various protective phenolic compounds which are not active in heartwood zones(found internodally).

While in contrast, exposed heartwood caused by stub cuts does not have the same regenerative capacity as the resilient living cells found in sapwoods defensive zones.

This is because the cells found within sapwood are still living and the protective chemical compounds found within them are still physiologically active, unlike with heartwood, which no longer retains the same type of functionality to heal and fight disease with.

2.) Wound Stress Overload

In addition to improper cut placement, another common problem that we see is an improper number of cuts(especially larger limb cuts which require longer healing periods)

While it is true that certain tree species are more durable than others and can heal more effectively at certain stages of growth, there are generally accepted guidlines that can be followed in order to avoid problems in the majority of situations.

With more severe wounds harboring exposed cavaties or decaying wood heavily impacting the amount of trimming that can safely removed .

3.) Excessive Foliage Reduction

Since many property owners are often motivated to get the most “bang for their buck”, some treecare professionals allow themselve to be pressured into making decisions that may inhibit a tree’s ability to support itself nutritionally long term. Or there is a simple lack of knowledge about the leaf vs wood balance that is required for sufficient photosynthesis support amongst other functions.

In addition to the energy deficit that can be created by excessive foliage removal , there are several other reasons why excessive leaf removal can negatively impact a trees overall vigor.

Because leaves play an important role in many other physiological processes of trees( such as the transpiration of moisture, the respiration of oxygen; and the storage of certain nutrients)(All of which are especially important in tbe hot and humid florida weather)

Since respiration and transpiration requirments increase in hot and wet environemnts, trees often utilize their foliage in order to protect themselves from heat stress, waterlogging, or malnutrition).

With high rates of rainful known for causing nutrient leaching, water logging, and sunlight deficits, it is important that the prunning decisions of Floridians are made carefully in order to encompass these factors while effectively mitigating wind stress, unhealthy growth, and aesthetic appeal as well.

4.) Improper tool maitenance

Another major problem that is known for causing tree health issues is a lack of thorough tool maitenance amongst tree care professionals.

With a lack of tool sanitization and poorly sharpened blades greatly increasing the likelyhood of the spread of various sicknesses amd disease .

Since dull saw blades cut less efficiently and leave more damaging and porous wounds with greater surface area, the healing process can be more difficult for the tree as a result and the opportunity for pathogenic organisms or viruses to enter is increased.

Plus, the lack of sanitization of blades can increase the likelihood of transmiting diseases as well, for obvious reasons. With pathogenic fungus or bacteria readily spreading from tree to tree by lazy treecare professionals which refuse to put im the extra effort it takes to keep their tools clean.

In the treecare business, it is common for professionals to be tasked with removing sick or dying trees(with many of them harboring large communities of pathogenic bacterial or fungal communities) and since the prunning and trimming of trees always causes some level of wounding and will expose a certain amount of sap wood(if done properly) or heartwood(it done improperly); the chances for infections from pathogenic organisms skyrockets after the performance of any type of invasive tree work.

This risk being amplified to an even greater extent when in humid or wet environments(such as florida); or when poor and uninformed prunning practices are implemented.

Even in situations where a tree’s health is deteriorating as a result or nutritional deficiency or soil related issue; the chances of accruing a pathogenic infection increases durasticly along with the weaking of a trees overall vitality(similar to how humans are more prone to compounding infections or diseases when their immune systems are compromised).

But, even the healthiest and most aseptic trees can still rapidly become sick and die due to improper sanitization practices and the lack of knowledge about necessary preventative measures, as many of the common plant pathogens in floirda are swift and unforgiving, once established.

Although, these are issues not commonly discussed among many treecare professionals due to the inconvenience and negative impact on profit margins or price competitiveness that it can potentially have, as proper sanitization costs both time and money and can also effect the longevity of saws blades and tool viability. So many companies knowingly choose to ignore or even hide these facts just for the sake of profits.