The village’s tree pruning program is scheduled to begin this month. Trees in the area bounded by Garfield Avenue and Stough Street to the east and west and Ogden Avenue and the railroad tracks to the north and north will be pruned. Forestry staff estimates more than 1,000 public trees will be pruned.
The recommended frequency for tree pruning is a five-year cycle, which the village follows. Documented studies show that the five-year cycle preserves tree condition and value and is more cost-effective for a community to maintain.
Preventive tree pruning is designed to keep trees healthy and reduce problems in trees under stress. Dead, weak or hazardous branches and limbs are removed first, and they the remaining tree canopy is thinned as needed to improve branch spacing and maintain the symmetrical appearance of the tree. Lastly, lower tree branches might need to be removed or raised to provide safe passage for pedestrians and vehicle traffic, including emergency vehicles, snow plows and garbage trucks.
Regular pruning helps reduce the amount and/or severity of storm-related damage, the number of service request calls and interference with power lines.
Parkway trees should receive two types of pruning during their life span: training and maintenance. Training is done primarily to develop a branching habit that ensures structural strength and adequate clearance once the tree is mature.
Maintenance pruning is done on older, mature trees to remove hazards and improve vigor and aesthetics. Most trees in Hinsdale are mature, so they bulk of the pruning work is maintenance.
Residents with questions or concerns should contact the village forester, John Finnell, at (630) 789-7043 or [email protected].
