Homeowner in Nashua, NH Asks – Is It Possible to Limit a Tree’s Height?
A new homeowner in Nashua, NH recently contacted us about his property’s landscape. He was concerned about an oak tree growing close to the home. While the tree’s size was manageable now, this homeowner was worried that the growing tree over the years would begin to pose a threat to the house with overhanging limbs because of the close proximity. He was hoping to keep the tree, but stunt its growth minimizing the threat that it would pose in the future.
Regular Pruning to Reduce Tree Size
This is a common question, particularly living in New England where the threat of snow and ice on large trees near a home can be worrisome. While it is not possible to entirely stop a living tree from growing from year to year, you can manage this growth.
The immediate instinct may be to chop the top of the tree to keep it small, reducing the overall height. Not only will the limbs on the top grow back, but they will come back weaker, increasing the risk that this Nashua homeowner was concerned about.
A skilled tree professional can prune the tree in such a way that the tree’s health will be maintained, while still limiting the growth. A significant understanding of tree structure is necessary to effectively achieve this. It is also important that this pruning is done regularly, without which the tree will continue to grow at its standard rate.
The homeowner in Nashua is proceeding with this regular pruning of the tree, and while it does continue to grow, this has limited the size from overwhelming the property or posing a threat to the home.
