Daily Spectrum-Friday, March 2, 1984
Toquerville
Howard Madsen is an advocate for an often taken for granted part of everyday life - trees.

"Trees are the main thing going for us," says Madsen, "They help the atmosphere; they provide food." And, deserving of attention as the asset they are, Madsen says careful trimming can often make them tilt the scale in favor of a beautiful and healthy tree.

He shakes his head as he mentions the rows of front yard trimming examples that line the streets of St. George.

"The trees get so big that people don't know what to do," and as a result, amateur pruners end up indiscriminately pollarding (severely cutting back to four or six arms) until little more than a trunk stands.

"Trees require different techniques—they're grown for different reasons," he says. While pollarding may not affect some types of trees, it can be harmful to others. Know the characteristics of the type of tree you're dealing with and the effect you want to create before beginning to trim, he said.

As qualifications, Madsen cites several years of "extensive training," a requirement he says is necessary for a tree trimmer to call himself a professional.

"I'm an arborist by trade, which means I know how to take care of trees...Arborists know tree pathology—all the diseases and things that have effects on trees," said Madsen.

He is also skilled in the rope and saddle, climbing to the uppermost limbs by using ropes to make a saddle for himself. It's a less expensive and bulky alternative to the often seen bucket truck, he added.

Madsen, who has spent the last 12 years in southern Utah and has lived in most of the communities in Washington County, is planning a move to Washington State this month to take a job with a tree trimming firm.

Why bother to help nature doing what it does by trimming a tree, an often time-consuming and expensive project?

"It's often necessary for the tree's health", says Madsen. It's not only beneficial for the tree's appearance, but removing dead. or diseased limbs can prevent the disease from spreading throughout the tree.

Thinning branches also lets sunlight and air circulate better and penetrate to the innermost leaves.

Trees also have aesthetic values, says Madsen, who added he always "structures the tree as artistically as possible." Not only will trimming correct problems such as lopsidedness, but it will prevent damages caused by breaking due to excess weight.

Madsen indicated a lopsided pecan tree with two main branches leaning over a house as an example. In preparing to trim back the tree, Madsen said he would leave the branch forming the distinctive angled shape of the tree, but remove the second branch that went more perpendicular to the ground. The graceful shape of the tree would be retained, he said, but cutting the limb would relieve the tree of 200 pounds.

Trimming can increase production, such as more yield from fruit trees, and can also rejuvenate an old sparse tree, he said.

Rather than topping a tree and cutting off all limbs to the bare main branches, Madsen suggests thinning to allow branches to grow without competing for light and space.

However, he adds, if a tree is topped due to height or space restrictions, follow-up work will be needed within two years.

He suggests cutting out all dead wood and removing branches that either cross over each other or are very close. For example, he said, if several branches of the same size are growing out of the same trunk, don't cut all off evenly, but totally remove one or two to reduce crowding.

As for suckers, tiny twigs of about a year's growth, Madsen removes them if they are on the trunk. However, if they are growing in the right direction, out instead of toward the center, and are not crowding, he leaves them.

Madsen works all year round, he said. "Contrary to popular belief, you can trim anytime; especially mulberry or sycamore trees. It doesn't affect the tree to trim it in full leaf," he said, adding that trees such as sycamores can often be more artistically structured in full leaf.

Mulberry and Chinaberry trees, often called Texas umbrella trees, are good for confined yards because they can be trimmed severely, said Madsen. However, both should be trimmed every two years, he said.

However, pecan trees or sycamore trees should not be pollarded as much, he added.

Fruit trees should be trimmed to create a bowl in the center, said Madsen. Not only will limbs branch out closer to the ground, better to gather the fruit, but the inner branches are more accessible to sunlight. ''The bowl should be made while the tree is young enough to heal over," he said.

The sycamore tree, said Madsen, "is a beautiful tree and should not really require much trimming."

Conifers also require little trimming. "All you need to do is take out the dead wood."

Cypress trees also need little trimming, said Madsen. However, he warns, cutting off the top will cause the top branches to grow outward instead of in the traditional point.

"Trimming should be progressing less from year to year, and the tree should be more beautiful and strong from year to year."