There are many articles out there that try to lay out the difference between tree trimming and tree pruning.
However, there actually isn’t a difference.
They’re just two different terms for one and the same thing, with one term being a layman’s term and the other one being a professional arborist term.
Can you guess which term is the professional one?
The Common Misconception About What The Difference Is
Many bloggers, or tree care professionals who don’t know any better will tell you something along these lines if you ask them about the difference between trimming and pruning:
“Tree trimming is the process of cutting off unwanted or problematic tree parts to improve the tree’s appearance, but also to maintain its structural integrity so that it doesn’t turn into a potential hazard. Tree pruning is less “superfluous” and focuses more on the tree’s overall health. It includes cutting back water shoots, cutting off dead and diseased branches, and any other cutting that supports optimal tree health and structural integrity.”
In other words, supposedly the only difference is the purpose of it:
- If the goal is to improve the tree’s health then it’s pruning.
- If the goal is to “just get rid” of unwanted tree parts, then it’s trimming.
This “wannabe” definition is pretty confusing and can’t be correct, can it?
The Proof: Tree Trimming Is A Layman’s Term
Ok, so here are the facts:
Neither the International Society of Arborists (ISA) nor the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), the two main organizations representing the tree service industry, talk about “tree trimming” on their websites.
However, they talk about “tree pruning” a lot.
In fact, if you search on the ISA website for both terms, you’ll find one irrelevant result about trimming and 14 results about pruning.
The same is true for the TCIA website.
In one article, the TCIA outlines proper pruning practices and references the ANSI 300 Tree Care Standards, which are the industry norm for proper pruning and tree care practices.
The word “trimming” isn’t mentioned once throughout the article.
Likewise, ISA offers multiple brochures and illustrated guides on its online store about how to “prune trees”. The word “trimming” isn’t mentioned once in any of the product descriptions.
It is safe to assume, that if you were to read through all of their publications, you’d find that they’re talking about pruning all day long while trimming doesn’t get an ounce of attention from them.
What does this tell us?
Simple:
“Tree trimming” is a layman’s term, and even though most people are more familiar with that term, it’s not the right word to describe what arborists do.
The same goes for the term “tree cutting”.
“Cutting trees” is only something that an amateur would say, not a tree care professional.
Are Tree Trimming And Pruning The Same?
No matter the purpose, tree pruning is the correct term when referring to the removal of shoots and branches with a hand shear, chainsaw, or other appropriate tool suited for the job.
This leaves us with the question: Are trimming, pruning, and cutting three different words to describe the same action?
In theory, the answer to that is yes.
But in fact, a lot of amateurs and professionals still use the word trimming exactly like described above, referring to trimming as something that is focused more on appearance and pruning as something that is focused more on tree health.
While this might not be a satisfying answer, it is how it is.
So you’ll have to decide for yourself how you’re going to use these different terms.
Read below how we’re dealing with this ambiguity.
Why Do Arborists Still Talk About Tree Trimming?
Well, mostly for practical reasons.
As a tree service company, most of our customers use the term “tree trimming” when searching for pruning services online and aren’t familiar with the proper terminology.
There’s no point in trying to be nit-picky or overly correct, and since “tree guys” are usually easy-going people they don’t feel the need to correct people and “educate them” on the “proper terminology”.
After all, what truly matters is that the trimming, pruning, or cutting gets done correctly!
If in doubt, ask your tree service company of choice if they prune according to ANSI 300 Standards.
For professional pruning services in West Michigan, you can contact Forest Green Tree Services here.
