Tall trees with wide canopies are wonderful in summer, with their leaves blocking harsh sunlight and providing cool shade for you and your home. At least, those trees are wonderful if total shade is what you want. If you want to plant a garden, however, that shade can be destructive to anything that needs some sun.
One option is to seek out only those plants that thrive in total shade and soggy soil. The lack of light plus the humidity could slow evaporation, and if your soil is clay, drainage will also be an issue.
The other option is to trim some of those trees. You won’t have to make major cuts, though, because careful trimming and pruning can open up enough space to create sunny patches. Here’s your chance to plan your dream garden and actually customize the amount of light coming through those tree canopies.
Not All Branches Are Necessary
Not every branch in a tree canopy is necessary for the tree’s health or the canopy’s shape. In fact, you should have those trees trimmed yearly, especially to remove branches and twigs growing inward into the canopy instead of outward. A crowded canopy has poor airflow, and that’s a great environment for fungal pathogens (which then harm the tree and weaken it, which is not what you want to happen at all).
But even if you’ve already trimmed the tree for its health and growth, you can look at removing other branches and leaves to create pathways for the light to shine through. A certified arborist or tree service can tell which branches can go and which should really stay.
Control How Much Sunlight Hits Where
You have a great opportunity here! By controlling where you trim and how much, you can create sections of the garden that are great for plants that need part shade/part sun, dappled sun, indirect sun and full sun. Pick out the plants you want in your garden and arrange them by sunlight needs, and then the tree service you hire can look at what cuts will create those spots and where the sunlight will hit in your yard.
Learn Where to Prune First
Tall trees and heavy branches need professional attention. That’s a non-negotiable safety issue. Twigs and leaves on lower branches, though, are a different matter. But before you go pulling those off the tree, learn where to make cuts so that you don’t put the tree at risk of developing disease. Bacteria and viruses love fresh wounds on trees, and cutting in the right place and manner (sterilize those shears) reduces the risk of infection.
Conclusion
Your garden does not have to languish in deep shade while you gaze longingly at pictures of sunny gardens in magazines. Plan to trim some of those trees to introduce more sunlight into the garden so that you can plant a wider variety of flowers, shrubs, fruits and vegetables. When you need tree trimming services in Columbia, SC, contact Gaycas Tree Services.