Your home is likely surrounded by many trees that help contribute to its beautiful landscaping. While large trees can provide plenty of shade, they'll eventually need pruning to keep them in good health. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not know when is the right time to prune a tree, or how much of the tree should be removed. Here is what you need to know about tree pruning as a homeowner.

Why Prune Your Trees

As your trees grow older, the structure of the trees will become heavier. It may eventually get to a point where the tree has problems supporting the weight, which can cause it to fall down during a heavy storm, or from the weight of snow and ice in the winter. By pruning branches so the tree don't become unwieldy, it can help your tree stay healthy over the years. This is due to having branches that do not die prematurely from becoming overgrown.

Another reason to prune trees is because it reduces liability on your property. When you have a large tree that is not healthy, you run the risk of the tree falling down and landing on a car, fence, or even your house. If your tree falls on your neighbor's property and causes damage, you will be the one responsible for it. The cost associated with pruning a tree is relatively small when compared to the damage a tree can cause.

When To Prune Your Trees

A common mistake made when homeowners decide to prune their own trees is not doing it at the right time. They think of pruning during the summer when they are outside their home and the trees are blooming, which is the worst time to do it.

You actually want to prune your trees during the winter. This is the time of year when trees are dormant, and you won't cause problems with the tree's growth cycle by cutting off branches. It also makes the tree pruning process easier since you can see all of the branches without leaves in the way. You can easily see healthy branches and tell which ones need to go. Since insects are dormant in the winter as well, you won't have to worry about insects causing damage to parts of the tree that you trimmed.

For help with pruning the trees on your property, reach out to a local tree pruning service. They can handle it all for you to ensure it is done properly with the health of the tree in mind.