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Tree Pruning & Maintenance

Our Certified Tree Workers possess years of experience and training in the proper pruning methods to keep your trees safe, healthy, and beautiful. Through research and education, Gomez Landscape & Tree Care understands the tree biology and anatomy of Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, and the surrounding landscape. We not only use that information to approach the everyday tree, but rather the everyday species. Southern California is home to the world’s most diverse tree population and many trees respond differently to certain pruning methods. We can work with you to develop an annual or bi-annual maintenance plan based on tree species and growth rate to help keep costs down.

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Our Pruning Methods

We employ the following pruning techniques according to the desired outcome:

  • Structural Pruning: Corrective technique used to assist juvenile trees to grow and form strong lateral branches that, in time, become large healthy scaffold limbs.
  • Crown Cleaning: Identify and remove dead, dying, and diseased wood followed by identifying and removing broken, crowded, and crossing branches.
  • Crown Thin & Shape: "Thin" refers to selectively removing small live branches to reduce crown density. "Shape" refers to a manipulating technique of reducing ends of branches or branches all together in order to manage growth patterns and aesthetics (curb appeal). The latter is also referred to as "directional" pruning. Decurrent trees (round trees) tend to be shaped more than Exturrent trees (trees with one main leader trunk, for instance Pine/Christmas trees).
  • Crown Reduction: Selectively remove branches back to strong laterals in order to decrease height and spread of tree’s canopy.
  • Crown Raising: Selectively remove branches from the bottom of the tree in order to provide vertical clearance. A tree’s live crown ratio should be considered when removing bottom limbs in relation to the region’s historical wind patterns.
  • Crown Restoration: Technique employed to help assist trees recover from improper past pruning.

Why is Proper Pruning Important?

Topping and lion tailing (cutting all interior branches of a crown leaving only the foliage on the very tips) are examples of unfortunate yet common practices that plague the industry. These practices negatively impact trees, making them weaker and more susceptible to insect and disease.