Denver’s heavy spring snowstorm three weeks ago left many homeowners dealing with broken branches, hanging limbs, and damaged crowns. Ross Tree did received many emergency calls that week. While emergency pruning was necessary to remove immediate hazards and make properties safe again, many homeowners do not realize that emergency cleanup is only the first step. What most storm-damaged trees need now is comprehensive structural pruning designed to improve branch architecture, reduce storm vulnerability, and restore long-term health. Proper tree pruning saves money in the long term because healthy trees require less maintenance. A well-structured tree landscape also enhances property curb appeal.
Emergency crews work quickly to stabilize the tree and eliminate immediate danger. What it does not do is correct the underlying structural problems that caused the tree to fail in the first place. In many cases, trees still contain crossing branches, overly dense canopies, deadwood, poor weight distribution, and extended limbs that remain vulnerable to the next major snowstorm.
Structural pruning is different because it is proactive care. Instead of simply removing damaged branches, structural pruning reshapes the tree to improve strength and overall health. The goal is to reduce future storm damage by improving the tree’s branch structure and natural form. Structural pruning reduces snow load and wind resistance, forms a dominant leader, improves branch spacing, and eliminates any deadwood. Proper pruning is not cosmetic. Instead, it is a long-term investment in the health, safety, and lifespan of trees with a good ROI.
Standards-Based Pruning
Professional structural pruning follows ANSI A300 standards, the internationally recognized guidelines for proper tree care. Under these standards, every cut serves a purpose based on the biology and long-term structure of the tree. Crown cleaning removes dead, diseased, and damaged branches throughout the canopy. Crown thinning selectively removes interior branches to reduce snow accumulation, improve airflow, lower wind resistance, and balance canopy weight. Crown restoration preserves the species’ natural form. When performed properly, structural pruning strengthens the tree without over-thinning or harming its natural appearance.
What Are The Benefits of Proactively Pruning Yard Trees?
Denver’s unpredictable weather can bring heavy wet snow when many trees are leafed out. Trees that have never been properly pruned have long, horizontal branches extending too far from the trunk, and dense interior growth traps snow and wind. During major storms, these weaknesses cause mechanical damage to trees across the City.
- Species-Specific Pruning
Different tree species found in Denver also fail in different ways, which is why species-specific pruning knowledge matters. Cottonwoods, for example, grow rapidly and naturally develop long, heavy branches with relatively soft wood that break easily even without a snow load. Ash trees form multiple-stem lions’ tails at the ends of their branches, which can collect snow until they break. Additionally, Ash weakened by the Emerald Ash Borer becomes even more susceptible to breakage. Spruces and pines can collect tremendous amounts of heavy snow within their dense pyramidal canopies, sometimes causing the trunks to snap. Maples and Oaks often develop poor branch angles early in life that later become major structural failure points.
- Proactive Pruning
Ross Tree’s ISA-certified arborists understand the specific pruning needs of trees found in Denver. Periodic pruning every few years is often far less expensive and can extend a mature tree’s healthy lifespan by decades. One of the biggest advantages of proactive tree trimming is that it shifts tree care from expensive reactive emergency response to planned long-term maintenance. Instead of waiting for the next storm to expose hidden structural defects, homeowners with properly pruned trees usually weather snowstorms better than their neighbors.
Homeowners contact Ross Tree to get their storm-damaged trees ready for the next snowstorm. Call us at (303) 871-9121 or click here to complete a request service form.
Frequently Asked Questions About Structural Pruning
Structural pruning is the selective removal of branches to improve a tree’s strength, balance, health, and long-term stability. Structural pruning helps prevent future branch failure and improves the tree’s natural form.
Emergency pruning removes broken or dangerous limbs after damage has already occurred, but it does not correct the underlying structural problems that caused the failure.
Yes. Proper structural pruning reduces snow load, lowers wind resistance, improves branch spacing, and removes weak limbs before they fail. However, no tree is completely storm-proof.
Most mature Denver trees benefit from structural pruning every 3–4 years. Faster-growing species such as Cottonwoods, Tree of Heaven, and Catalpa may require more frequent maintenance, while slower-growing species such as Oaks typically need less.
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