Walked past a house I trimmed trees for 2 years ago and couldn't believe the difference

I did a big pruning job on this old oak and some maples back in spring 2022, removed a lot of deadwood and opened up the canopy. Came by that street yesterday and the trees looked way healthier and fuller than I expected, like the shape really settled in nice. Has anyone else noticed a big change in tree growth or structure a year or two after a major trim?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee.cora2d ago

Yeah but did the deadwood come back worse?

oliviabutler2d ago

Wait, the deadwood came back at all after they cleared it? That's honestly wild. I figured once you haul that stuff out, the tree would just have to heal or die, not regrow the same dead branches. Ngl, sounds like the tree is fighting back harder than expected, which is kinda scary for anyone doing tree work.

ryan_hart381d ago

That bit about "deadwood coming back" is interesting, and I think people might be mixing up two different things. In my experience, deadwood doesn't grow back, but the tree can produce what I call "new deadwood" from branches that were left in place and later die off. I trimmed a big maple for a client two years ago where we left a few smaller branches we thought were okay, and they ended up dying back this spring. So the tree isn't fighting back, it's just that the pruning might have exposed parts of the canopy to more sun or wind than they were used to, causing new dieback in spots you didn't touch. Take that with a grain of salt, because your mileage may vary depending on species and timing.