If you have trees, you know how important it is to keep them healthy and looking great. In Jamaica, we must prune to reduce potential damage from trees during a storm or hurricane. Proper pruning

techniques help with removing unwanted growth while encouraging new growth for proper tree structure.

Reasons and best time to prune

Firstly, you might be wondering, why should you prune your trees? Pruning your tree provides several benefits including promoting plant health, maintaining the intended purposes for plants in the landscape, improving the plant’s appearance and to protecting people from injury and property from damage.

Next you might be wondering, when is the best time to prune? Choosing the right time to prune a tree or shrub is very important. Pruning at the wrong time can affect the health or production of the plant which would be undesirable. The best time to prune a tree is during its dormant period. That is, when it isn’t actively putting on new growth or it isn’t bearing.

What to Wear

Before you begin pruning, you should be wearing the correct protective gears. Wear protective glasses to prevent fragments from falling in your eyes, a hard hat to help to protect your head, heavy-duty gloves to help protect your hands and a hard boot to protect your feet.

Protective glasses

Heavy duty gloves

Pruning Tools

Of course you will need the pruning tools to get the job done. The tools required include a pair of pruning shears, lopping shears, hedge shears, hand saws, pole saws and small chain saws. We recommend that you research these tools and select the ones that suits your pruning needs.