Tree Care: Beyond the Cut (Part Two)

A Tree Is More Than What You See

When you look at a tree, what do you see?

A trunk.

Branches.

Leaves.

Maybe a beautiful canopy providing shade over your home. But what you're seeing above the ground is only part of the story. A significant portion of a tree's life is happening beneath your feet.

Roots are interacting with the soil, water, oxygen, microorganisms, and surrounding landscape. The condition of that environment can have a tremendous influence on the tree's ability to grow, develop, respond to stress, and remain structurally sound.

That's why tree care shouldn't begin with:

“What branches should we cut?”

It should begin with:

“What is happening with this tree?”

Is the tree developing properly?

Is the structure improving or deteriorating?

Is the root zone being protected?

Has the soil been compacted?

Has construction, irrigation, drainage, drought, or other environmental change affected the tree?

Are there signs of stress that aren't immediately obvious from a distance?

These are the kinds of questions that help us understand the whole tree, rather than simply the portion we can see. A pruning cut can change the appearance of a tree today. But thoughtful management considers what that cut—and every other decision—may mean for the tree years from now. That's the difference between simply working on a tree and beginning to understand how to manage one.

Over the course of this series, we'll continue looking at the parts of tree and landscape care that often go unnoticed. Because there's a lot more to professional tree care than what happens at the end of a chainsaw.

This is Tree Care Beyond the Cut.

CJ’s Tree Service Professionals

Tree Care Beyond the Cut.