PRUNING Pruning is probably the most important practice to ensure strong, healthy and attractive plants. However, if improperly performed it could be the most devastating. Pruning or trimming should be done regularly to maintain safety and the health and natural attractiveness of your trees and shrubs, but always done sparingly and always by a qualified, certified arborist. Overpruning is extremely harmful and stressful because without a sufficient number of leaves, a tree cannot gather and process enough sunlight to survive. The process of photosynthesis, the food producing function of the leaves, would be compromised. Our arborists can determine what type of pruning is necessary to maintain or improve the health, appearance and safety of your trees and shrubs, what techniques to use, and more importantly, what the proper timing should be.