Tuesday, 7 October 2008
| 17ºC – Fair
| Telephone: 02 9777 1000
Trees in the wild don’t need pruning, but this may not be the case in an urban area. However, often pruning is done for the benefit of the owner, not the tree, and poor pruning can damage a tree. This happens when people do not know how to correctly prune a tree, how trees respond to pruning, and want to prune cheaply. The 
Tree & Bushland Preservation Order Brochure - 417 KB has some tips on pruning.
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Reasons for pruning trees:
- Improving the health of the tree
- Improving the appearance of a tree
- Removing safety hazards such as dead, diseased or defective wood
- Decreasing weight
- Eliminating unsound structures such as V-crotches
- Removing nuisance low-hanging branches
- Removing unwanted fruit and leaves
- Making space for power lines and buildings.
Tips for pruning:
- Know why you want to prune and what you want to achieve
- Plan how you will do it, and make sure you know how
- Don’t over-estimate your ability to prune; people die in pruning accidents every year
- If you are uncertain about what to do, call Council or a professional arborist for advice
- Most pruning will require Council’s consent, so get a copy of the protection order and read it before you decide to do any work.
- Visit the University of Florida for a good guide to pruning, or try the American Arbor Day Foundation to see animated and interactive guides. Please note that not all of the information on these websites may be applicable in Australia.