Tree Pruning

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Home > Services > Residential Services > Parks and Forestry Operations > Forestry Services > Tree Pruning

Tree Pruning

The Transportation Services, Parks and Forestry Operations Department follows arboricultural practices outlined by the International Society of Arboriculture when maintaining our city trees. Well pruned trees are healthier (resulting in a longer lifespan), aesthetically more pleasing, and safer.

Trees are pruned to:

Provide public safety
Provide adequate height clearance for pedestrian and vehicular traffic
Maintain adequate clearances over sidewalks, traffic signage, and streetlights
Remove dead branches
Eliminate hazards - Branches that can cause injury or property damage
Increase air and light penetration into the crown of the tree
Remove multiple leaders and promote a strong central leader
Develop proper structure
Promote good branch structure
Maintain health, strength and aesthetic value of our Urban Forest.

All brush is chipped and recycled into mulch for the proper care of newly planted trees and shrub beds.

The Transportation Services, Parks and Forestry Operations Department does not prune the tops of trees. Topping trees is the practice of removing the majority of a tree’s branches and is not an acceptable arboricultural practice. It will lead to poor tree form and ultimately shorten tree life.

Important Facts to remember about topping:

Topping will not make trees safe; it creates a hazardous tree
Topping makes a tree more susceptible to storm damage
Topping makes a tree prone to insect and disease problems
Topping is a waste of money

PowerStream and the Forestry Department are partnering on trees that interfere with power lines. For the safety of our workers, The Forestry department does not perform any pruning operations on limbs that are within three meters of primary or secondary electrical wires. Contact PowerStream directly when trees interfere with power lines. For the contact information for PowerStream, click here.

Pruning Rotation

The City of Vaughan uses a block pruning rotation to prune trees on entire streets. This includes but is not limited to: removing low hanging limbs, suckers, deadwood, and limbs growing towards houses of all trees on a street. The Block Pruning rotation allows staff to consistently and efficiently maintain safe clearances above roads (approximately 4.5 meters) and sidewalks (approximately 2.5 meters). Street pruning is contracted out to private tree companies.

The Forestry division aims to conduct regular pruning operations within 8 months of the initial inspection.

If you feel your boulevard tree requires attention please create an inspection work order for pruning by contacting:

Access Vaughan

905-832-2281

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 8:30 to 7:30 pm

Contact Information

Transportation Services, Parks and Forestry Operations

Phone:
905-832-2281

Email:
accessvaughan@vaughan.ca

Location:
Joint Operations Centre
2800 Rutherford Road
Vaughan
L4K 2N9

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