Tree Pruning Strategies for Common Issues in Winston-Salem

Trees add beauty and value to properties across Winston-Salem, from the historic magnolias in Old Salem to the towering oaks in Ardmore. But our local weather, including summer storms to winter ice, can turn weak branches into hazards overnight.

That’s why pruning is so important. The right pruning strategy can help protect your property while keeping your trees healthy and strong. Here’s what you need to know about the most common pruning strategies, and when each should be used.

Key Takeaways

• Different pruning strategies solve specific problems – from removing dangerous dead branches to managing tree size near buildings and power lines.
• Early attention can help prevent costly damage, especially before Winston-Salem’s summer’s severe thunderstorms and winter’s ice and wind.
• Each tree species needs different care and what works for a towering oak tree won’t work for an ornamental crape myrtle.
• Professional pruning improves both safety and tree health, while poor pruning techniques can cause lasting damage and even dead trees.

Understanding Common Tree Issues

If you own property in the Piedmont Triad, you know trees can be both a blessing and a curse. A branch hanging over your roof might worry you during storms, or low limbs could block a driver’s view at your driveway, causing daily stress each time you leave home.

But by catching these issues early, you can prevent damage and keep your trees in good shape for many years.

How Trees Can Become Safety Hazards

Trees add beauty and shade, but they can also pose serious risks if not properly maintained. Here are some common tree issues that can threaten your safety:

• Dead Branches: Limbs could fall on homes, cars, or people.
• Blocked Views: Low branches can create blind spots at driveways and street corners.
• Power Line Problems: Branches growing into or close to utility lines could cause outages.
• Storm Damage: Cracked or hanging limbs need immediate attention to prevent storm damage.

How Trees Can Damage Property

Unchecked tree growth can lead to costly damage to your home, vehicles, and more. Address these issues to protect your property:

• Overhanging Branches: Limbs over roofs, vehicles, or play areas could cause severe damage if they break.
• Building Contact: Branches touching your house can damage siding or shingles and let pests in.
• Ice Buildup: Dense canopies can collect ice and snow, creating hazards over driveways and walkways.

How Trees Can Interfere with Access and Use

Trees can make it difficult to fully enjoy or use your property. Watch for these accessibility issues:

• Blocked Paths: Limbs that obstruct walkways or driveways.
• Yard Care Challenges: Low-hanging branches that make mowing or outdoor activities difficult.
• Hidden Signs: Overgrowth that blocks street signs or security lights.

Signs of Tree Health Problems

A healthy tree is a stable tree. Recognizing these warning signs can help you address issues before they lead to bigger problems:

• Dead Wood: Multiple dead branches indicating health issues.
• Branch Problems: Crossed or rubbing branches that can cause damage over time.
• Uneven Growth: Lopsided growth that could make the tree unstable.
• Weak Spots: V-shaped branch unions prone to splitting in storms.

Many property owners wait until a storm brings down branches before thinking about tree care. But just like changing your oil prevents engine damage, regular tree inspections can catch most of these issues while they’re still small and easy to handle.

Main Pruning Strategies for Winston-Salem Trees

When it comes to professional tree pruning, different problems need different solutions. Here are the main pruning approaches we use to keep trees healthy and properties safe in the Piedmont region. Each strategy solves specific problems while protecting your tree’s natural shape and strength.

Crown Cleaning

The first step in most tree care is removing branches that could cause problems. Crown cleaning takes out dead, dying, diseased, or damaged branches throughout the tree’s canopy. Think of it like removing weak links in a chain – each bad branch you remove makes the whole tree safer and healthier.

Consider crown cleaning in the following situations to address potential risks and improve tree health:

• You notice several lifeless limbs visible in the tree
• You have branches that were recently damaged by ice or wind
• Parts of the tree show infection or pest problems

Crown Raising

If you’ve ever ducked under branches while mowing or swerved around low limbs while backing out of your driveway, you might need crown raising. This careful removal of lower branches creates space underneath while keeping the tree’s natural balance. It’s especially helpful in established neighborhoods like Washington Park, where mature trees often grow over streets and sidewalks.

Crown raising is particularly beneficial in situations like these:

• Branches obstruct sight lines at driveways or street corners
• Low-hanging limbs interfere with vehicles, pedestrians, or yard activities
• Branches block entry to buildings, service areas, or essential pathways

Crown Thinning

Unlike other types of pruning that work all over the tree, crown thinning focuses on the outer branches. By carefully removing selected small branches near the edges, we let more light and air move through the tree. This is particularly important for the dense canopies of oaks and maples that line many Buena Vista streets, for example.

Benefits of crown thinning include:

• Better Airflow: Crown thinning opens up the canopy to allow more light and air, promoting healthy growth and reducing the risk of pest infestations and fungal diseases.
• Less Stress on Branches: This service removes excess weight from heavy branches, making the tree more stable.
• Better Storm Protection: Crown thinning helps prepare your trees for storms by letting wind pass through the canopy instead of pushing against it. Discover storm risks for trees
• More Natural Look: Thinning the crown of the tree controls thick growth without changing the tree’s shape, keeping it looking beautiful.

Crown Reduction

When trees grow too big for their space, they need careful size management. Crown reduction isn’t just cutting branches shorter – it’s an exact process that keeps the tree healthy and strong while making it smaller. We often see this need along Reynolda Road, where mature trees have grown into power lines over the years.

Crown reduction makes the most sense when:

• Trees are growing too close to utility lines
• Branches are hanging over roofs or structures
• Large trees are blocking important sight lines
• Trees have outgrown their space

Crown reduction pruning is far better than “topping” (cutting branches to stubs), which seriously harms trees and makes them unsafe. While not banned on private property, tree topping is prohibited on trees growing on city property and “right of way,” which you may have at the boundaries of your property.

Structural Pruning

Think of structural pruning as preventive treatment for trees. This method focuses on helping trees grow stronger from an early age, but it can help older trees, too. We remove problem branches before they can cause trouble, which is especially important in areas like Bethania where summer storms can be especially intense.

Structural pruning helps shape strong, healthy trees and prevent future problems. Here are the key benefits:

• Storm Readiness: We remove weak or damaged branches that are more likely to break during storms.
• Improved Structure: Structural pruning corrects crossed branches or competing stems to promote balanced growth.
• Balanced Weight Distribution: This pruning technique ensures branches are evenly spaced and stable to reduce strain on the tree.
• Long-Term Strength: Structural pruning encourages a single, dominant trunk for a stronger, more resilient tree as it matures.

Common Tree Species and Their Pruning Needs

Different trees need different care. Here are the main types of trees you’ll find in Winston-Salem properties, and what they typically need to stay healthy and strong.

Crape Myrtles

Many people damage these flowering trees by “topping” them, or cutting off their tops to control size. This practice is common all over the place, and is often encouraged by landscapers.

However, crape myrtles actually need very little pruning. Usually, they just need dead wood removed and crossed branches fixed. Young trees might need some structural guidance, and older ones occasionally need low branches removed for sidewalk clearance.

Oaks (White, Red, and Willow)

Our neighborhood oaks, like the giants that line Oakwood Drive, need careful attention due to their size and long life. Their thick canopies often need thinning to let wind and light pass through.

Regular canopy cleaning can help prevent dead branches from falling during storms, and young oaks need guidance to grow strong branch structures that will support them for decades to come. Oaks have a tendency to grow multiple, co-dominant stems. Structural pruning early on can help them mature with a single, straight leader, which is more structurally sound.

Maples (Red and Silver)

Maples grow fast and often form weak branch connections, so they need early structural pruning to prevent future problems. When planted near buildings or power lines, they frequently need size control.

Their dense leaf coverage means they benefit from regular thinning, especially in tight urban spaces. As they grow, we often need to remove low branches to clear space for activities below, especially since they’re commonly planted along roadsides.

Southern Magnolias

These classic Southern trees need special care to keep their elegant shape. Their low branches often need raising for clearance, and their thick canopies need regular cleaning to remove dead interior branches.

Their pyramid shape requires careful pruning to maintain, and we pay special attention to their large, heavy branches that could damage property if they fail.

Dogwoods

These smaller trees need a light touch. We mainly remove dead wood and thin out crowded areas. Sometimes they need low branches removed if they’re near walkways. Since dogwoods can attract diseases quite easily, clean, proper cuts are especially important to keep them healthy.

For flowering trees, like the much-loved flowering dogwood, pruning is often done right after flowering, to help encourage healthy flower production next spring.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to prune in our area?

The best time for major pruning in Winston-Salem is during winter, especially December through early February. Trees are dormant then, making it easier to spot problems and make clean cuts.

Spring and summer pruning usually focuses on removing dead or damaged branches as they appear. If a branch poses a safety risk, we’ll remove it any time of year.

How do I know if my tree needs pruning?

Look for dead or broken branches, limbs hanging over buildings, or branches blocking views. Also watch for thick growth, branches touching power lines, or low limbs blocking paths.

If you’re not sure, have an arborist look at your trees – some problems are easier to spot at certain times of year.

Will pruning hurt my tree?

Technically, yes, pruning causes wounds and hurts trees. But when done by professionals who understand tree biology, the wound channel is minimized to encourage fast healing.

But poor pruning techniques like topping can seriously harm trees and open the door to pests and diseases. That’s why it’s important to use the right approach, and the right equipment, for each situation.

What’s the difference between pruning and trimming?

While people often use these terms to mean the same thing, pruning is more precise. It involves carefully selecting which branches to remove for the tree’s health and safety. Trimming usually means cutting branches back for looks. We focus on pruning because it helps solve specific problems while keeping trees healthy, as opposed to trimming which is often something landscapers do to ornamental trees and shrubs.

How often should my trees be professionally pruned?

It depends on your trees’ type, age, location, and condition. Young trees benefit from guidance every 2-3 years. Mature trees usually need attention every 3-5 years, though some might need more frequent care. Regular checkups help catch problems early.

Protecting Your Winston-Salem Trees Through Professional Pruning

Ready to have your trees checked? Godspeed Tree’s Certified Arborists know Winston-Salem’s trees inside and out. We’ll recommend the right pruning strategy for your property and execute it flawlessly, to support tree health and longevity.

Call us at 336-399-8348 or use our online form to request a free pruning quote today.