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Tree trimmingCity encourages proper tree trimming techniques

Spring is here and the City wants to remind residents how to properly prune the trees around their home to ensure tree health and improve the value that trees provide to their property.

Recently, several local tree companies teamed up with City arborists to trim trees around City Hall, San Antonio’s front yard. Many trees, including historical Live Oak and Pecan trees, were used as examples to show proper tree trimming techniques all residents can use to preserve their own trees at home.

According to City arborists, a tree only should be trimmed to:

  • improve its structure

  • remove dead, dying and diseased limbs

  • improve aesthetics of the tree

  • reduce the chance of a large limb failure

  • eliminate conflicts with your house or utility lines

  • improve safety and visibility

  • increase light filtration

The City encourages residents to carefully consider how each of their trees should be trimmed before beginning the task. Residents should first remove dead, dying, diseased or poorly attached limbs from each tree. Also, no more than 25 percent of a tree’s canopy should be removed in any single growing season. Poor pruning techniques, such as topping (removing most of the top of a tree’s canopy), excessive canopy thinning, excessive canopy raising, and stub cuts (cutting a limb at an inappropriate location), may be detrimental to the health, longevity, value and safety of the tree.

“We often see residents that prune trees incorrectly,” said City Arborist Debbie Reid. “Excessive or incorrect pruning will not only alter the natural appearance of a tree, it may injure the tree, cause improper future growth, and reduce its value and lifespan. And it is required that all Oak trees have their wounds painted within 30 minutes.”

When hiring a company to trim your trees, choose a person or company that is currently licensed by the City or choose an arborist certified by the International Society of Arborcutting. These companies have been instructed on proper tree maintenance procedures. Licensed companies can be found on the City’s website at www.sanantonio.gov/dsd.

Additionally, the City provides brush collection services twice a year to each residence for the removal of tree limbs or other brush. However, it is illegal for a hired tree company to trim a resident’s trees and then place those limbs out for an upcoming City brush collection. Companies paid by residents for tree maintenance must dispose of brush at their expense as part of the service they provide.
 

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