I have some old trees in front of my property, and wondering if it needs some attention, and also 5 hornbeam trees that were planted about 3 years ago. The hornbean trees are sitting beside the neighbors, and have grown enough this past year that covering part of a window on ground floor and reaching their second floor.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
Providing a photo would have been helpful to determine if a tree requires an arborist.
I am assuming you have columnar European hornbeams (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’). If so, this tree needs little or no pruning, as I am assuming they are columnar and will only need pruning to grow in a desired shape. Hornbeam are rarely pruned as their growth habit is very tidy and upright. If you do prune make sure you do not prune the central leader of the Hornbeam.
When pruning a tree you need to know what time of year is best and how much of the tree you can safely remove. No matter which tree you are pruning, the guideline is to prune in late winter (dormant pruning), around early February when you can see the tree’s shape and there is little bleeding from the wounds. The rule is not to take more than one third of the tree off. Look for dead and damaged branches to remove first. There are also tools that you will require to prune trees. There are many tools depending on your skill level, and size of branches you are removing. This University of Kentucky paper provides all the information you require in pruning a landscape tree: Pruning Landscape Trees
For the larger trees I would recommend an arborist, as they will know if your trees require pruning, the health of your trees, why they require pruning, the age or stage of life and type of trees. The arborist will be able to work with you to achieve a desired tree line for your property. Pruning a tree is a visionary work where you need to look at a tree to determine what you want it too look like in the future and arborists are professionals that will be able to assist you in your vision. I suggest you contact Landscape Ontario for a certified arborist: Landscape Ontario Finding an Arborist
June 3, 2024