When it comes to making a property more beautiful and inviting, it’s hard to compete with the wonders offered by a healthy, full-grown tree. Here at River City Trees, we know that there’s something about trees that makes them superb additions to any property. We’ve been providing tree services Brisbane-wide and on the Sunshine Coast for more than 20 years, and we’ve seen first-hand the effect that well-kept trees can have on homeowners and their guests.

As marvellous as trees can be, though, it’s easy to forget that they often require plenty of work to make them look and grow the way they do. More often than not, gorgeous trees don’t become that way by accident – plenty of upkeep and nurturing are involved. This is especially true for trees in homes, private properties and public spaces, where regular maintenance isn’t just recommended, but even required.

It’s important to remember, however, that you don’t have wait for a public mandate before you even begin maintenance on your trees. In fact, if you want your trees to grow as lush and beautiful as possible, then their maintenance should already be part of your itinerary. Here’s what regular and proper maintenance can do for your trees:

Structure

 
The first and most obvious benefit of tree maintenance is to improve their looks and appearance. This is what most people think of when it comes to tree maintenance – understandably, this is the area that gets the most attention. By pruning trees and cutting off branches where needed, you’ll be able to shape a tree according to how you like it. It’s simple, direct and immediately apparent.

What most people don’t realise, however, is that pruning a tree and doing other maintenance work does a lot more than just making it look more attractive. What it also does – to a larger yet less noticeable degree – is influence the tree’s growth and structure. This is particularly important early in the tree’s life, when tree maintenance affects it the most. In these early stages, not only will you be able to shape the tree’s appearance, but you’ll also be able to influence its structure and form in the succeeding years.

That’s because pruning your tree in the right places will help you guide its growth and even influence the direction of its development. If you know how to prune and maintain it properly, you can also prevent undesirable branch configurations and promote better balance and weight distribution. These not only affects how it looks, but also how it grows in the future. This is often something best left to an arborist, though, since doing remedial pruning on your own may lead to problems later if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Health

 
Another main benefit of tree maintenance is the improvement of your tree’s health. At first, it may seem counterintuitive to cut off branches and parts while you’re still growing them. But if done correctly and managed by an arborist, it can actually promote better growth and development. In the same way that our muscles break down and get stronger after lifting weights, so does pruning and other forms of tree maintenance help trees grow stronger and healthier.

By taking away dead branches and other deadwood, you’ll promote the growth of new, healthier branches. Strategic cutting may also divert the tree’s resources to parts that need it more, helping them to develop and catch up with other healthier branches.

In some cases, cutting away branches and other parts even helps prevent harmful conditions from spreading to the rest of the tree. Insect and pest infestations, for example, can wreak havoc on trees and quickly affect its health. By cutting away parts of the tree where the pests have settled, you’re more likely able to prevent the rest of the tree from being affected. The same goes for tree diseases (yes, there are such things), fungus outbreaks, and other similar conditions that can negatively impact a tree’s growth.

Safety

 
Lastly, tree maintenance also benefits the safety of not just the tree itself, but also yours and of anyone else around it. That’s because despite how beautiful they may look, trees can also pose several dangers, depending on the circumstances. This especially applicable to neighbourhoods and properties that are connected to a public spaces.

One of the most common risks posed by trees is falling branches. This may seem insignificant when your tree is still growing or if it won’t mature into a big, heavy tree. But if it grows into a sprawling tree with towering networks of branches, then it’s definitely an issue. Proper maintenance by arborists can ensure that wayward branches and questionable parts are cut off before they cause an accident or hurt anyone. This is particularly important during rainy seasons or whenever a storm comes, since broken branches and tree parts can easily cause property damage or personal injury.

Aside from this, trees can also cross paths with structures and equipment, which then creates other types of risk. This mostly applies to trees that extend into public spaces or grow near high-risk environments. For example, entanglement with power lines and cables is a common issue homeowners may face when their trees branch out into utility poles. In other cases, some trees may even obstruct the view of public safety equipment like traffic lights or street signs. By conducting regular maintenance on trees like these, you’ll be able to help prevent accidents from happening and make sure that the tree’s surrounding area is safe for everyone.

Clearly, there’s more to tree maintenance than simply making your trees look good (although that’s a big part of it too). By regularly maintaining your trees, you’ll be able to ensure its optimum structure, promote its growth, and keep yourself and others safe around it.

Tree maintenance, however, is seldom an easy matter. In many cases, you’ll often need the help of arborists if you want to do it correctly and get the results you want. Fortunately for those in South East Queensland, our specialists at River City Trees been providing tree services Brisbane and Sunshine Coast wide for years, are there to help.

No matter who you hire to maintain your trees, though, make sure that they’re professionals who know what they’re doing. The last thing you want is for your lovely tree to be ruined by improper maintenance.