What Does Canopy Reduction Do for Your Trees?
A well-grown tree canopy beautifies your entire property. Canopy trees are able to photosynthesize relatively rapidly due to abundant light. The canopy layer provides protection from strong winds and storms, while also intercepting sunlight and precipitation, leading to a relatively sparsely vegetated understory layer. This may make landscaping beneath tree canopies more of a challenge, as plants must be chosen which thrive in lower sunlight conditions.
The Benefits of Canopy Reduction
Improving your yard’s tree canopy, or tree cover, can have numerous benefits, from reducing summer peak temperatures to improving the overall appearance of your landscape. Shade trees are a welcome addition to most South Florida yards. They not only make beautiful landscape specimens, but they also help cut down on high summer power bills. Planting a tree on the South or West side of your property helps keep the hottest sun off of the house.
Deciduous Trees and Their Canopies
Some of South Florida’s most beautiful shade trees are deciduous. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter. If you’re planting a shade tree for energy-saving, a deciduous tree is a good choice. The leaves in warm weather protect your home from the blazing sun. However, in the wintertime when the tree is bare, sunlight can get through the branches to help heat your home. It is a win-win tree canopy choice.
Trees that keep their leaves year round can provide a sheltering canopy to protect plants below from frost. They also act as a natural covering to keep winter temperatures a few degrees warmer in the area below them. Houses without these trees can suffer significant frost damage during freeze warnings, while the houses right next to them collect little to no frost on their greenery.
Once a tree has grown to a large size, reduction tree pruning may require removing branches with large diameters. This can wound trees, making the trees at risk for cracks and decay. Undesired new development can also sprout out of the cut branches. You should try to reduce tree size while you can maintain the form of the tree and minimize regrowth before the tree becomes too large for the area in which the tree is growing.
For more information on canopy reduction or overall Total Plant Health Care, contact our Certified Arborists at Zimmerman Tree Service today!
