Why Excessive Pruning is Bad for Your Trees!

Pruning your trees is an important part of keeping them healthy and looking great. But did you know that overdoing it can actually hurt your trees? Removing too many branches or cutting back too aggressively can create a lot of problems. Let’s take a closer look at why excessive pruning can be a bad thing and how you can avoid it.

Trees Need Their Leaves to Thrive

Think of a tree’s leaves as its food factories. They use sunlight to produce energy through photosynthesis, and that energy helps the tree grow and stay strong. When you remove too many branches, you’re also removing those precious leaves. Without enough leaves, your tree can’t make the energy it needs to recover from stress, fight off pests, or survive tough weather. It’s like putting your tree on a strict diet it didn’t sign up for.

Open Wounds Invite Trouble

When you prune too much, you’re leaving your tree with large, open wounds. These take longer to heal, and in the meantime, they’re like open doors for pests, fungi, and diseases. Plus, cutting away too many branches disrupts the tree’s natural canopy, making it easier for problems to spread. Nobody wants their tree to become a magnet for trouble!

Weak Trees Are Risky Trees

Taking away too many branches can also make your tree structurally weaker. The branches are like a framework that helps the tree stand strong against wind and storms. When that framework is thinned out too much, the tree becomes more likely to break or lose branches in bad weather. And if improper cuts lead to weak new growth, like water sprouts, the tree can become even more unstable over time.

Trees Get Stressed, Too

Yes, trees can get stressed! When you over-prune, especially on older trees, you’re throwing off their natural growth processes. They may respond by growing a ton of new shoots (called epicormic growth), which can look messy and sap their energy. Instead of focusing on important things like growing roots or staying healthy, the tree has to put all its energy into these new shoots.

The Long-Term Effects Aren’t Pretty

Your tree might survive an aggressive pruning session, but the long-term effects can be serious. Chronic stress and reduced energy reserves make the tree more likely to get sick or die early. On top of that, over-pruned trees often lose their natural beauty and end up looking awkward or unbalanced.

Prune with Care

The good news is that you can avoid all these problems with a little care and planning. A good rule of thumb is to never remove more than 20-25% of a tree’s canopy in one season. Focus on trimming dead, damaged, or diseased branches, and try to keep the tree’s natural shape intact. When in doubt, reach out to a certified arborist who can guide you on the best approach for your specific tree.

Taking care of your trees doesn’t have to be complicated, and with thoughtful pruning, you can help them thrive for years to come. So next time you’re reaching for those pruning shears, remember—a little goes a long way!