When my young desert trees were ready to be pruned, I hired an arborist. Here’s a look at why I hired a professional, what actions she took, instructions she gave me for future care, and what I learned from the experience.
I know a lot about gardening, but I also know my limitations… and shaping a new tree is one of them. I know that if you don’t prune it right, you can ruin the shape and health of your tree for life. It’s not hard to find the results of poorly pruned trees — they are everywhere.
How I Knew It Was Time for Help
The rule of thumb is to wait 2 to 3 years before pruning a newly planted tree. Waiting that long can be hard! But when that time was up, I was eager to whip these trees into shape.
One of my trees was messy and unruly and showing no signs of growing to its full potential.
One of my other trees had barely grown, and I was concerned whether there was a problem. (There was.)
The Arborist Visit
I’ve planted 3 trees in the past 2 years and here’s what happened — and what I learned — when I hired an arborist to give my new trees a trim and a check-up.
Checked the Roots
The first thing she did for each tree was to check the roots. I’m glad she did because she found a problem!
First, she gently rocked each tree to see if the roots had fully taken hold and were anchoring the tree. The biggest tree was rock solid, but you could see the ground around the base of the two smaller trees shifted. This is a sign that the roots have not spread out enough to anchor the tree.
Then she gently scraped away the soil near the base of those trees to inspect the roots and to make sure the root flare was not buried. Fortunately, none of my trees were planted too deep, a very common problem in the desert southwest.
When I told my arborist that I had the nursery plant my trees, she said that even when you pay a nursery to install your tree, that is no guarantee it was done right.
However, the smallest new tree, a Mexican redbud had a girdling root that could potentially strangle it, so she gave that a snip. She was hopeful that the roots would grow out from that point. If left unchecked, that would have prevented that tree from thriving and could have eventually killed it.
Checked the Stakes
The redbud was the only tree that was still staked and I was hoping I was doing the right thing by leaving the stakes in. She confirmed that they were a good idea since the roots were not yet anchoring the tree and that they were in the right place and doing their job. (That tree is in a wind tunnel.)
She said it was too early to prune the redbud, since it was not yet clear which branches would become the leaders.
Removed Suckers
The second tree, a fruitless olive, had numerous suckers. She showed me how to snap the smallest ones off with my fingers instead of using loppers. She explained that removing them by hand when they are soft and pliable is better than using tools which leads to scars at the base. I did not know that! Going forward, I’ll diligently remove them as soon as I see them.
This tree had 3 main trunks, 2 of which were rubbing against each other. She removed part of one of the main trunks to prevent further rubbing but felt it would be better for the tree to wait to completely remove that trunk, so that will be a task for next year.
Performed Major Pruning
The third tree was the main reason I decided to hire an arborist. It’s a 2-year-old mesquite hybrid that had grown by leaps and bounds and was out of control. I could barely walk through part of my yard and was concerned about getting poked in the eye!
While mesquites are supposed to be multi-trunk trees, mine had too many. She removed the most problematic one this year and will remove another next year.
You can see where the trunk was removed. There is no way I would have gotten that right, it was in a really tight spot.
She removed many branches and explained that the goal now is to shape the tree so that it will be healthy and look good in the long run, not to make it look beautiful today.
I was surprised that she left the dense shrubby growth around the lower 4 feet. She said those branches were left since their leaves are feeding the roots. Without her guidance, I probably would have pruned them, since I’m eager for the tree to grow up and out.
Gave Me Care Instructions
And finally, she left me with instructions on watering, what I could trim on my own and how to do it, and what I absolutely should leave alone until her visit next fall.
Here is my “to do” list for the coming year. Some of these surprised me.
- I should water my mesquite less, if at all, since it’s well-rooted and growing fast.
- I should water my olive and redbud more. While both are desert-adapted trees, they are not Sonoran Desert natives and need a little more water than native trees until they are better established.
- I should not prune anything off my redbud or olive, except for suckers.
- I should snap off suckers by hand as soon as I notice them.
- I should not prune any lower branches off my mesquite. They should be left to feed the roots.
- When the mesquite pushes out long skinny “deranged” branches that grow down or sideways, I can cut trim to get them out of the way. However, I should only cut them back by about half, not all the way to the main branch.
- When pruning I should disinfect my tools when moving from one plant to another since witches’ broom can spread this way.
Can’t I Just Hire a Landscaper?
If you care about your trees and want them to be healthy and beautiful for years to come, absolutely, not!
Because…
Landscapers are NOT arborists.
To become a certified arborist you must have 3 years experience in the tree industry and pass a stringent exam.
Anyone with a few tools and a truck can call themselves a landscaper. The results of bad pruning are everywhere. I could fill a book with examples of poorly pruned trees… just in my neighborhood.
Tree pruning is so awful here in Tucson that there’s a Facebook group called “Tucson Hates Trees” where people share heartbreaking and infuriating examples of horrendously pruned trees. There might be a similar group in your town, too.
Can’t I Take Care of My Trees Myself?
Unless you understand the definition and significance of competing branches, central leaders, and co-dominant stems, I would not recommend pruning your own trees.
Unless you understand how to make proper pruning cuts, when to prune, and have the skill and right tools to do the job, I would not recommend pruning your own trees.
Unless you would recognize buried root flare or girdling roots if you saw them, and knew what to do about them, I highly recommend hiring an arborist to check your newly planted tree within the first few years. Or better yet, have an arborist plant the tree so you know it was done right.
And if you come from somewhere where lollipop trees are the norm, understand that desert trees are different. Almost all naturally grow as multi-trunked trees and they are more complicated to train.
You’ve probably noticed that after every big storm, roads and neighborhoods are littered with fallen trees. This kind of storm damage is largely avoidable since much of it is due to trees not being properly planted and maintained.
Hiring an Arborist: The Bottom Line
Knowing what I know now, I would always have any new tree checked by an arborist.
If you’ve planted any new trees in the past few years, I urge you to consider hiring an arborist to check them out, to look for and correct any potential problems, and properly prune them.
A tree should be a thing of beauty that brings life to your garden and makes you happy. It’s an investment that should increase the curb appeal and value of your home.
The consequences of planting a tree — whether positive or negative — can last for decades. If not planted and maintained properly, a tree can become a disappointment if it doesn’t thrive. Even worse, it can become an eyesore or nuisance that will cost you big bucks when it eventually needs major work or to be taken down.
You can find certified arborists in your area using the International Society of Arboriculture search function. You can also check on an arborist’s credentials there, too.
To learn more about how to find a good arborist and how to choose the right one for your job, visit Tucson Clean & Beautiful.