We had such a great turnout at our garden talk last Saturday, so let’s do it again! This Saturday, February 19^th at 10am, join Gill’s resident tree expert, Mike Montgomery as he demonstrates the do’s and don’ts of tree pruning. You’ll walk away with the info you need to sculpt small trees yourself and to make sure nobody else harms your trees by pruning them improperly. Here’s a preview from Mike. 

1. Less is best.

A good rule of thumb is to not cut branches larger than your thumb! With trees, unless there’s a very good reason (like branches rubbing on the house), you typically don’t need to do a lot of pruning. Start with the ‘less is best’ mindset.

2. Bottom up, not top down.

When we prune shrubs and perennials, we take a little off the top. Don’t do that with trees! Think of a tree (even small trees like crape myrtles or yaupon holly) as a sculpture. In order to get a good tree form, and to keep the tree healthy, start from the bottom and work your way up. 

3. For big trees, hire a trusted arborist or tree service. 

Very important – don’t let just anybody trim your trees. This time of year, you will see lots of amateurs with chainsaws offering great deals to trim your trees. Some of them know what they’re doing, and lots don’t. Taking proper care of existing trees is just as important as planting new ones. Gill’s does not do tree trimming, but we can help you identify issues and recommend a trusted arborist or tree service. 

See you Saturday!

-Mike