‘Tree Lopping’ Vs ‘Tree Pruning’

'Tree Lopping' Vs 'Tree Pruning'

Looking after trees can be a full-time job, especially if you have a lot of them in your garden. That’s why it pays to get a firm specializing in tree lopping Sydney to help you manage and maintain your trees.

However, this does lead to an interesting question regarding what is the difference between tree lopping and tree pruning.

'Tree Lopping' Vs 'Tree Pruning'

Tree Lopping

Every year it is important to lop your tree. Tree lopping involves trimming the branches of your tree in order to reduce the size of the tree. This is usually done in a balanced way so that you retain the shape of the tree but stop it from growing too high or too wide.

Trees that are allowed to grow too big can become a danger and can suffer from a lack of nutrition as there may be simply too much tree! If it’s a fruit giving tree this will be noticeable in the fruit it produces.

Tree Pruning

This is also an opportunity to trim the branches of your tree. The difference is simply that pruning is done for the health of the tree. For example, fruit trees that have lots of branches with many small branches coming off them are not going to provide high-quality fruit. It doesn’t matter if the tree is large or small, there are simply too many bits of the tree to feed.

Pruning means removing the excess branches to create a stronger and healthier tree. It can cause the size of the tree to shrink but this is not the main aim, that’s what lopping does.

It’s a fine difference but you will need to use different tools depending on what you’re trying to achieve.

In general, if you want to prune a tree you’ll use loppers and hand shears. This allows you to be precise regarding which branches are removed. As you’ll generally be targeting smaller branches these tools should be sufficient.

In contrast, when you’re lopping a tree you’re removing bigger branches to reduce the size, this means you’ll need gas-powered clippers, electric shears, and perhaps even a hand saw. In short, it’s a bigger task. For an arborist service near you, check out https://www.thelocaltreeexperts.com/.

Timing

It’s also worth noting that tree pruning is generally done once a year, this is usually in the late winter before the tree starts to bud for the new season. 

In contrast, tree lopping can be done 2 or more times a year, it is simply making sure the tree stays within the height and width you want it to be.

In other words, lopping doesn’t concern itself too much with the health of the tree, it’s main aim is the aesthetical appearance. In contrast, pruning focuses solely on the health of the tree, removing branches is simply part of the process to ensure the tree remains healthy.

Both are important parts of tree maintenance and, while it is possible to do the work yourself, it’s worth considering getting professional help. The taller the tree the more dangerous t will be to prune or lop it yourself.

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