Trees are vital for a healthy and perfectly-crafted landscape. They promote healthy soil, reduce carbon dioxide in the air, keep oxygen levels sufficient, and boost air circulation. Trees also provide natural shade to protect people from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.
This is why taking care of your tree should be one of your top priorities. Check out your garden and inspect your trees. So, what did you find? Are they too dense? Do they look healthy from afar? Do they have dead branches and limbs?
If there’s truth to all of these questions, your beautiful trees might need extra care and maintenance to revitalize their health and revive their beauty. You’ll probably need to do some pruning and trimming to keep your trees in optimum condition. You can also hire an arborist if you don’t have enough time to take care of your trees.
When it comes to tree care and maintenance, you’ll need different tools and equipment to help you carry out the task safely and perfectly. Here are some of them:
Spikes
Tree climbing spikes, or spikes, are sharp steel attached to the legs of the climber to help them climb and access the tree safely and easily. However, they may potentially damage the tree you’re servicing, so make sure to use them only when:
- You need to remove a tree.
- You have no option but to climb the tree personally due to its height and inaccessibility.
- There are too many power lines surrounding your tree.
- One of the tree climbers got injured up in the tree.
Also, you shouldn’t use tree climbing spikes on healthy trees, no matter how thick, large, or dense their bark is. This prevents sap leakages, holes, cross-contamination (spikes may carry diseases from one tree to another), and unwanted marks and gashes in the bark.
Boots
Boots, particularly tree climbing boots, are essential in tree care and maintenance. This is especially true since there will be plenty of pruning and trimming here and there.
Tree climbing boots are designed to help tree climbers access the tree they’re servicing without causing problems. These are lightweight and durable enough to withstand a tree’s hard and rough exterior.
When buying tree climbing boots, look for ones with metal toe caps to keep your toes protected from chainsaw accidents. Also, they should be able to reduce the fatigue from climbing a tree and keep you focused on the task ahead.
Hand Pruners
Also known as pruning shears, these handheld cutting tools can help remove diseased twigs and branches, including dead ones. They also come in different types depending on the work you plan to do. These include:
- Bypass Pruners: These pruners are excellent in making clean and precise cuts, preventing damage to the live wood. They’re best for cutting branches measuring a half inch or less.
- Anvil Pruners: These are ideal for cutting tough, old, and dead twigs and branches. They’re not suitable for cutting live wood to prevent live tissue damage.
- Ratchet Pruners: These pruners function like anvil pruners, but they have better cutting action, making them ideal for gardeners with small hands and tons of pruning to make.
- Double-Cut Pruners: These have two blades that meet in a slightly-offset pattern. They’re ideal for cutting delicate branches, resulting in a clean cutting action.
To maintain your pruners, make sure to wipe them every after use to remove any debris that can damage and dull the blades. You can wash them with water but make sure to dry them completely to prevent rusting.
Loppers
Also known as lopping shears, these cutting tools are ideal for cutting branches and twigs measuring two inches or less. In other words, loppers are the super-sized version of hand pruners.
If a branch is thicker than a marker, cutting it with a hand pruner will only damage the tool itself. With a lopper, you’ll have better control when cutting thicker twigs and branches. Also, you’ll be able to reach higher ones, thanks to its longer handles.
Much like hand pruners, loppers can be bypass or anvil. Bypass loppers are more popular than an anvil, with blades that can cut thicker and heftier bases without damaging the tissue. On the other hand, anvil loppers are ideal for cutting dead branches and limbs.
Pruning Saw
A pruning saw is a sharp tool used for cutting tree lumber, including live shrubs and trees. It has a blade shorter than a regular saw and a more ergonomic, curved handle for better dexterity and control.
The main purpose of a pruning saw is to cut extra edges of the base of trimmed tree branches. With this, gardeners can control the growth of the tree according to the height they prefer.
Pruning saws come in different types, including:
- Pole Pruning Saw: As its name implies, the blade of the saw is placed on one end of the pole. This allows you to reach distant limbs and branches of the tree.
- Hand Pruning Saw: This is the most common pruning saw with a short blade and a comfortable handle designed to cut thick and thin branches.
- Bow Pruning Saw: This pruning saw has a thin blade installed on a steel frame, sometimes wood. This is ideal for cutting large tree trunks and logs.
- Straight Blade Pruning Saw: This pruning saw has a blade with a curved handle. Its blade is in a straight line, allowing the gardeners cut the branches smoothly.
Pruning saws may develop rust and dull over time. Make sure to wipe all the debris after every use to maintain its sharpness and keep it always dry to prevent rusting.
Chainsaw
Chainsaws are the most powerful cutting tool you can use to remove unwanted limbs and branches from your trees. They can provide a clean-cutting action when pruning limbs, no matter how thick they are.
However, a chainsaw requires mastery of the tool. It can be dangerous in the wrong hands, so make sure to learn how to use it to prevent any fatal injury.
Final Words
Taking care of and maintaining your trees requires a considerable amount of effort. You also need a wide range of tools and equipment to perform the task efficiently. Since the process involves a lot of trimming and pruning, you’ll most likely need cutting tools, such as pruners, loppers, and saws. If you find the process difficult, you may hire an arborist to take care of your trees.
