Owning a home often comes with the responsibility of taking care of its trees. While most mature trees are low-maintenance and easy to care for, they all require at least some pruning. 

If you fear pruning the trees in your yard because you don't want to damage or kill them, then avoiding these common mistakes will go a long way toward a successful project:

Mistake: Not Pruning When the Tree is Dormant

Nearly all trees should be pruned in the winter when they are dormant. While in the dormant state, trees are not using their energy to produce or feed leaves. When there are no leaves present, trees are better able to concentrate their limited energy on healing.

While you will occasionally need to prune off a branch or two after a big storm, keep the main pruning sessions to the winter for healthier trees.

Mistake: Not Removing Dead, Damaged, or Crossed Branches

It is important to note that every single cut you make to a tree causes it to have an open wound.

Since each cut is traumatic, one of your main pruning goals is to remove only the necessary branches. The first branches removed should be those that are broken, damaged, or crossing and rubbing on others.

Broken branches are just dead weight on the tree and don't look good. Damaged and rubbing branches can have open wounds that are susceptible to disease entry and insect infestations. 

Mistake: Not Regularly Stepping Back and Reviewing Your Progress

When you are pruning a large tree, it's easy to get carried away and take off too many branches. This leads to a tree that is no longer symmetrical and removing even more branches on the other side to try and get it back into an aesthetically pleasing shape.

To avoid over-pruning and asymmetrical results, prune a few branches and then step back and review the progress. This simple step allows you to see over-pruned areas before there is a problem.

Mistake: Not Calling a Professional Tree Trimming Service When One is Required

Lastly, it would be remiss not to mention the common homeowner mistake of not hiring a tree trimming service for big or complicated tree trimming projects. 

Trees often look a lot smaller when they are still standing. They also don't always come down exactly where the cutter would like. If you don't have the proper skills, knowledge, and experience, then you could be seriously injured or damage property trying to save yourself some money and DIY the project. 

DIY efforts are fantastic, but it's typically a good idea to leave tree trimming and tree removal to the pros.

Reach out to a tree-cutting service to learn more.