Depending on your landscape goals, you may need to trim your trees regularly. But with the right tools and know-how, tree pruning is a relatively simple task. In general, trimming a tree involves removing dead branches and thinning the crown to reduce stress on select limbs, encourage air circulation, help control the growth of suckers, protect against damage from wind, ice and snow, and prevent structural failure.
When to prune:
Prune during the dormant season or immediately after new growth appears in spring, but not before the onset of active growth. This minimizes the risk of removing young growth that would otherwise be subjected to the elements, and promotes faster healing for wounds. For mature trees, you should prune throughout the growing season, though the more extensive trimming is usually done in winter to slow growth for the following year.
Tree Pruning Tools:
To avoid tearing the bark, make your first cut on the underside of the branch, an inch or two away from where you want to end up. Then move up to the swollen area, called the branch collar, that forms where the branch meets the trunk. This is the ideal location for your final cut, because a cut outside of this area interferes with the tree’s ability to compartmentalize the pruning wound through the formation of callus tissue. Make your second cut at a 45-degree angle kicking out into the swollen area (see Figure 5). Then finish with your third and final cut, removing the stub.
For larger branches, you can use a pole saw. However, it’s best to leave pruning of large, established shade trees to qualified arborists or tree care professionals.
The most important step is to remove dead, broken or diseased branches before they become a hazard. This also helps to open up the canopy of the tree and encourages healthy, fast-growing limbs.
Next, you should remove limbs that are too close together. This opens up the plant and allows sunlight to reach all areas, and helps reduce the stress of limbs due to gravity or wind. It also discourages the formation of fungus, which can grow in moist limb crevices.
Finally, you should prune out any unwanted or hazardous branches that are hanging low, interfering with buildings or traffic, obstructing views, threatening power lines, or causing other safety hazards. You should also get rid of suckers, which are weak, weed-like branches that form at the base of a tree and steal energy from more desirable limbs.
source https://caboolturetreeremoval.wordpress.com/2023/08/16/tree-pruning-how-to-properly-prune-your-trees/
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