Pruning is the most important thing you can do for the long-term health of a tree- and it’s also the most commonly done wrong. Topping, lion-tailing, flush cuts, over-thinning, wrong-season cuts on the wrong species- bad pruning kills more trees in the Midlands than any pest or disease.
Dixon Trees LLC follows ANSI A300 pruning standards on every job. Our arborists hold ISA membership and our crews are TCIA accredited and OSHA certified. We prune the way it’s supposed to be done.
Call (803) 678-9997 for a free consultation.
What Pruning Is, and What It Isn’t
Pruning is the selective removal of specific branches to influence the long-term health, structure, and growth of a tree. It’s not the same as trimming, which focuses more on clearance and appearance. The two overlap, but a good arborist treats them differently.
Done correctly, pruning:
- Removes dead, diseased, and damaged wood before it spreads infection.
- Develops strong structure in young trees- a single dominant leader, well-spaced scaffold branches, no codominant stems.
- Reduces weight on weak branch unions before they fail.
- Opens the canopy enough for air and light to circulate without over-thinning.
- Corrects structural defects before they become permanent.
- Extends the safe useful life of mature trees by sometimes decades.
Bad pruning can seriously damage a tree. Practices like topping – cutting off the entire top of a tree – lead to weak regrowth, increase the risk of decay, and ruin the tree’s natural shape. Lion-tailing, where interior branches are stripped and foliage is left only at the tips, pushes weight to the ends of branches and makes them more likely to fail. These are harmful practices we simply don’t do. Ever.
Types of Tree Pruning We Do
Crown cleaning
Removing dead, dying, diseased, broken, or weakly attached branches throughout the canopy. The most common pruning service. Improves both safety and tree health without changing the tree’s overall shape.
Crown thinning
Selectively removing live branches to reduce density. Done correctly, it improves light and airflow through the canopy. Done incorrectly, it stresses the tree and triggers weak regrowth. The rule of thumb: no more than 25% of live foliage removed in a single year, and never less than the species can handle.
Crown raising
Removing lower branches to provide clearance for pedestrians, vehicles, mowers, sight lines, or building access. Standard for street trees and shade trees over walkways.
Crown reduction
Reducing the height or spread of a tree by cutting back to a lateral branch that can take over as the new leader. Done correctly, this is not topping- it’s a specific technique that preserves tree health. Done incorrectly, it ruins the tree.
Structural pruning for young trees
One of the most valuable services available, and one most homeowners don’t know exists. Young trees pruned correctly develop a single strong leader, well-spaced branches, and storm resistance that pays dividends for the next 50 years. It’s cheap to do, and it has more impact than any other type of pruning on a tree’s long-term value.
Species and Seasonal Timing
The right time to prune depends on what you’re pruning.
- Most hardwoods (maples, hickories, sweetgums, tulip poplars): late winter while dormant.
- Oaks: November through February only, to avoid oak wilt transmission during the growing season.
- Pines: any time, though winter is preferred for sap reasons.
- Flowering trees (dogwood, redbud, cherry, magnolia, crepe myrtle): right after spring bloom, before next year’s flower buds form.
- Storm damage or hazardous limbs: any time of year, as soon as identified.
Pruning a tree at the wrong time of year can stress it, open it to disease, or wreck next year’s bloom. Knowing the species-specific timing for the trees on your property is part of what an ISA-trained arborist does.
How Often Should You Prune?
Pruning frequency depends on the tree’s age, species, and condition. Young trees benefit from light structural pruning every year or two for the first decade- these early cuts shape the tree’s lifetime structure and pay dividends for the next 50 years. Established mature trees usually need attention every 3 to 7 years depending on species and condition. Slow-growing oaks can sometimes go longer between prunings; fast-growing species like silver maple or tulip poplar may need attention more often.
Trees that have been recently pruned shouldn’t be pruned again right away. Most species can only handle so much canopy removal in a single year- typically no more than 25% of the live foliage- and need time to recover before the next round. Aggressive yearly pruning is one of the most common mistakes we see, and it gradually weakens otherwise healthy trees.
The best way to figure out the right schedule for the trees on your property is a free arborist evaluation. We’ll walk the property, look at each tree, and give you an honest read on what each one needs this year and what can wait.
Pruning Mistakes We See in Lexington
Some of the most common pruning mistakes we get called in to repair (or remove the consequences of):
- Topped trees- irreversible damage that often requires eventual removal.
- Flush cuts- branches cut off flush with the trunk, removing the branch collar and preventing healing.
- Stub cuts- branches cut too far out from the trunk, leaving a stub that rots back into the tree.
- Over-thinning- too much foliage removed at once, weakening the tree.
- Wrong-season cuts on oaks- increasing oak wilt risk.
- “Hat-racking” crepe myrtles- chopping off all the major branches at the same point every year.
If you’ve inherited a tree with previous bad pruning, we can often help. Sometimes the damage is permanent and removal is the right call. Often, careful restoration pruning over a few seasons can recover a tree that looked like a lost cause.
What’s Included in a Dixon Trees Pruning
- Free on-site evaluation by an ISA-trained arborist.
- Species-specific, season-appropriate cuts.
- ANSI A300 standard pruning practices on every cut.
- Removal of dead, diseased, and structurally weak branches.
- Structural pruning for young and developing trees where applicable.
- Complete chipping and haul-off of all debris.
- Workmanship guarantee and no-surprise pricing.
Our Credentials
Tree work is dangerous, and accreditation in this industry isn’t easy to come by. Dixon Trees LLC holds the credentials that actually matter:
- TCIA Accredited- Tree Care Industry Association accreditation, held by less than 2% of tree companies nationally.
- ISA Member- International Society of Arboriculture membership and standards.
- OSHA Certified- federal occupational safety certification on every crew.
- BBB A+ Rated- Better Business Bureau accredited with an A+ rating.
- Licensed, Bonded, and Insured- full general liability, workers’ comp, and bonding.
