LION-TAIL PRUNING
what is lion-tailing
Unfortunately, Lion tailing is a common, but improper method of trimming trees. The term lion tail comes from trimming a tree (or individual branches) of a tree to look like a lion's tail, pruning off all branches and leaves until only a puff of foliage remains at the tip. We never recommend lion-tailing any type of tree for multiple reasons:
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Weight is concentrated at the tips making the branches or even the tree likely to break or fall over in high winds, like Monsoon
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Interior of tree is now at risk for sun burn
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Tree can develop splits, cracks, and wounds
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Much less leaves to photosynthesize (feed) the tree can lead to stress and death
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Tree sends out more leaves to repair, photosynthesize and counter balance disproportionate weight
what to do if your trees have been lion-tailed
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Allow several years for the tree to grow and fill in the stripped branches. Selectively trim or remove some sprouts, leaving others to develop into new branches.
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Remove the tree
