Let there be light – a mulberry gets an overdue trimming

Dead wood, damaged limbs, lots of sapwood and dense growth low in the tree all will be removed. The result will be less chance of disease, better air circulation through the tree and more light on the ground.

There is a bit of dead wood and some more low-growing, twiggy, weak limbs to remove, but the difference is already evident. Much more light shines through the tree, and the canopy is now high overhead, creating a feeling of spaciousness.

Arborists like to talk about removing the “Four D’s”. Dead, Diseased and Damaged wood. My instructor added “Deranged” to cover aesthetic decisions as well. This damage was caused by two limbs rubbing against each other – something that could have been avoided if the tree had been pruned correctly earlier in its life.

Mulberry trees grow fast and tend to produce a lot of sap wood – branches that grow quickly from lower down on the trunk and obscure the canopy. They also tend to grow straight instead of twisting artistically. Pruning out this sap wood reveals the tree’s structure and the high-arching leaves far above.

The upper canopy is invisible, hidden behind twiggy, weak growth arising from low in the tree.

The upper canopy is now visible, and the dense lower growth is gone. This allows wind to pass more easily through the tree, a good thing in case of summer windstorms.

Although the cat doesn’t mind the deep shade, the plants growing under the tree will benefit from more light. It’s also a bit gloomy and oppressive under the dense mass of leaves.

Most shade plants like a good amount of light, just not hot, burning sun. Unthinned, the tree did not pass quite enough light to keep all the plants beneath happy.

After the trim, the shade is more open, with more of a 50-50 mix of dappled sun and shadow. This will result in better growth below the tree and a more open feeling for anyone walking under it.

Sap wood and dense vegetation below the canopy had grown in, making the space under the tree dark and stuffy. Air did not pass easily through the tree, and the upper canopy was all but invisible. Plants under the tree, although adapted to shade, prefer more light with dappled sun instead of mirkwood-dark shadows.

The tree needed a good pruning to remove dead wood, damaged branches, and all that accumulated dense sapwood. Correctly done, good pruning looks as though nothing at all was done.

There are no topping cuts, where major branches are hacked off at the tips. These are the sign of a bad tree service, since they produce weak wood that is more likely to break off. Topping cuts don’t heal, either – there’s no tissue at the cut that will grow over the wound, leaving an open sore ripe for infection. They also are obvious, so the tree looks a lot less natural. The crew trimmed this tree made sure to trim branches at the base, where the wound would heal over and disappear in time.

The final result is a tree that looks natural, with direct views to the upper canopy. Summer breezes now pass through the branches freely, reducing the chance of problems in case of a windstorm. Plants below benefit since they now enjoy dappled sunlight instead of deep shade. It feels better under the tree, too – since there’s a feeling of spaciousness and light.