| Mature and growing trees abound in almost every | | | | out a tree to remove diseased limbs and dead |
| neighborhood across the country. If the proper | | | | branches. It usually involves cutting off of selected |
| care procedures are not regularly observed by | | | | branches back to the new growth, to the larger |
| homeowners, they could cause serious injury to | | | | branch, or to the main trunk itself. |
| their property and the trees themselves could | | | | Simply put, trimming is more of a procedure done |
| end up in poor form and health. Most of them | | | | for aesthetic purposes, while pruning is done |
| may need some trimming and some may require | | | | primarily for safety and health purposes. Pruning |
| serious pruning. But what really is the difference | | | | for safety reasons is when you cut off branches |
| between these two? | | | | that could fall on a person or on a part of your |
| Many homeowners, even some tree services | | | | home or property. Pruning a tree to maintain its |
| contractors just use these two terms | | | | health typically includes removing insect-infested or |
| interchangeably. Strictly speaking however, | | | | decayed branches and thinning out the crown for |
| trimming and pruning are actually different, albeit | | | | better air passage. You can also prune to |
| closely related, processes. | | | | promote fruit production in fruit-bearing trees, and |
| You may think of tree trimming as "grooming" or | | | | stimulate blooming in flowering trees. |
| shaping it according to a design you have in mind. | | | | The ultimate decision on whether a tree needs |
| You are more focused on the outer perimeter of | | | | trimming or pruning would be dependent on the |
| the tree, removing most of the new growth of | | | | type of tree you have and the problems you |
| leaves or small branches on the tree's external | | | | may have with it. For more tree care tips, consult |
| portion. Tree pruning on the other hand, is thinning | | | | with a tree trimming or pruning contractor. |