At the peak of the annual storm season, many mature trees are pruned in Ho Chi Minh City to prevent possible accidents caused by falling branches.  

Unfortunately, improper pruning can exacerbate the problem.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper's observations, a row of 12 phoenix trees on D5 Road in Hoa Lam Shangri-La Hi-Tech Healthcare Park, Binh Tan District have been almost completely pruned.

The trees now only have trunks 3-5 meters high and no branches or canopy.

'If the trees knew how to cry, they would cry so much'

According to the explanation of a caretaker, the phoenix trees were brought here from other places, so their roots are not strong enough to hold on to the soil.

They are regularly clipped every 2-3 years to ensure the safety of local people.

Tran Ba Cuong, 44, a resident, said the phoenix trees have been there for dozens of years.

Before they were clipped as severely as they are now, they were tall trees with dense canopies that covered anyone who walked under them.

“It is really unfortunate that these phoenix trees were trimmed so heavily," Cuong said.

"They can prune them to prevent the trees from bending or falling over during the rainy season.

"But is it right to clip like this?” 

A long row of trees on Nguyen Binh Street in Nha Be District was also completely neatened recently.

Many people wonder how long they can live in this condition.

In Thanh Da Park in Binh Thanh District, only the trunks of many green, mature trees are left, and some have large branches without leaves, while others still have a few big branches after being pruned before the annual rainy season.

“I have never seen the trees neatened so much. In my opinion, pruning should remove weak or rotten branches, while this kind of pruning leaves no canopy to keep out sunlight,” said Van, a vendor at Thanh Da Market.

“If the tree knew how to cry, it would cry so much."

As Tuoi Tre understands, the row of trees standing along D5 Road in Binh Tan District belongs to Hoa Lam Shangri-La Hi-Tech Healthcare Park.

The trees along Nguyen Binh Street was trimmed by Nha Be District Public Service Company Limited.

The Ho Chi Minh City Technical Infrastructure Center is responsible for the trees of Thanh Da Park, but Green Environment Group carried out the tree trimming project.

Le Cong Son, head of the technical department of Ho Chi Minh Green Tree Parks Limited told Tuoi Tre that the pruning of trees in some places in Ho Chi Minh City is not technically correct.

“It is necessary to survey the trees and find a solution for pruning to keep the trunks, canopies, and roots in balance so that they can grow healthily," he said. 

Also, the new branches are not as strong as the original,” Son explained, adding that among such branches are weaker ones that would break later.

Explanations

Nguyen Van Tuan, who is in charge of the technical department of Green Environment Group, which pruned the trees in Thanh Da Park in Binh Thanh District, explained to Tuoi Tre that they carried out the trimming only after a careful inspection.

The trees that were fully clipped in Thanh Da Park are monkeypods with girdling roots and dense canopies that can make them vulnerable to storms, Tuan said.

Because the area has seen so much rain recently, water pooling around the roots could uproot the trees.

“We did careful research before pruning,” Tuan said.

“The pruned trees are monkeypods that are strong so they can survive and recover quickly.

"The tree pruning is to ensure the safety of local residents.

"Especially in this area, there is a market where many people gather to trade."

However, it was incorrect to carry out complete tree pruning in this way, according to guidelines in the Manual on Planting and Maintaining Trees in Public and Private Areas issued by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction.

The guidelines state that in addition to regular watering and fertilizing, one of the most important points in caring for trees is proper pruning.

In urban environments, failure to prune trees or improperly trimming them can have negative effects on their growth, adversely affecting the cityscape as a result.

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