As a homeowner, you likely treasure the trees on your property. Unfortunately, we find that a lot of homeowners in Richmond have little to no knowledge when it comes to properly caring for their trees. In fact, much of what you may have heard about tree care and tree pruning in Richmond may be incorrect and rooted in misconception and myth. Today we’re going to talk about the top 5 myths we encounter and debunk them once and for all.

1. You should securely stake a newly planted tree so that it develops a stable root system and a strong trunk. While sometimes it’s necessary to stake trees so that they don’t fall over and they can become established, you can actually incur some adverse effects when staking. Contrary to popular belief, unstaked trees actually tend to develop better and more extensive root systems while also developing better trunk taper.
2. Prune trees back heavily when they’re planted in order to compensate for the loss of roots. Actually, it’s best to establish trees when they’re not pruned. Why? The tree needs a full crown so that it can product food and plant hormones which induce root growth.
3. If you’re removing a tree branch, make sure the final cut is flush with the stem so that the tree will heal. Firstly, trees simply don’t heal like we humans do. Trees actually compartmentalize wounds. They generate woundwood over the wounded area so if you flush cut the tree branch, you’ll remove the “branch collar,” an actually create a larger wound!