A long-standing Hinsdale program has started up again and will continue through April 2026.
Residents and visitors to the village are likely to see tree pruning taking place in parts of Hinsdale, something that has been ongoing for several decades, said John Finnell, superintendent of Forestry and Grounds.
“The purpose of tree pruning is to improve tree structure, enhance vigor, and maintain safe conditions for all motorists and pedestrians as they move through the street corridor and village green spaces,” he said.
Finnell said the benefits from establishing a tree pruning program on a regular cycle include tree preservation, reduction in service calls, reduction in damage related to storms and limiting power line interference.
Finnell said Hinsdale’s pruning activities can be split into three different classifications. The Forestry Program administers the first two, cyclical pruning and request pruning.
Cyclical pruning consists of scheduling all parkway trees within a specific area of the village for pruning, generally during the winter months. Request pruning activities occur throughout the year, subject to needs, such as storm damage or clearance problems. The third type, utility pruning, is administered and performed by the utility companies for adequate clearance from overhead utility wires on a timetable established by the utility.
During their life span, parkway trees should receive two general types of pruning: training and maintenance, Finnell said. Training is done primarily to develop a branching habit that ensures structural strength and maintenance 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, and therefore the bulk of the pruning workload is maintenance,” he said.
If training pruning is started early, structural tree problems can be corrected before any problems become too prominent.
“Large limbs removed at a later stage in the tree’s life not only dramatically change the appearance of the tree, but the resulting wounds are larger,” Finnell said. “Large pruning wounds are more likely to develop decay before the tree can completely grow over and compartmentalize the wound areas.
“In addition, the systematic removal of low limbs as the tree grows in size allows the tree to channel more resources into developing a more upward crown.”
Finnell said trees located in the parkway are the primary recipients of area and demand pruning activities.
Public Services-Forestry Program staff is rotated into tree pruning crews to respond to request pruning and complete cyclical structure pruning. A tree service company is contracted to handle the cyclical pruning of mature trees, which is done on a five-year cycle.
“Within the urban forestry profession, documented studies have shown that a five-year pruning cycle maintains tree condition and value and is more cost effective for a community to maintain,” Finnell said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
