Pruning Tips For Trees

Whether you want to shape a tree for aesthetics or safety, it’s important to know the proper pruning techniques. Without them, your tree could end up with a haphazard appearance or be prone to disease and insect infestation. Pruning provides the framework for healthy growth while also ensuring that the plant will remain strong enough to withstand storms and other environmental stressors.

In addition to enhancing the beauty of your landscape, pruning can help protect people, buildings and power lines. Dead branches can fall and damage property, or they can hang from a tree and interfere with utility wires. In addition, many trees grow too densely, blocking sunlight from reaching the lower canopy. When pruning a mature tree, the goal is to remove unhealthy and unattractive limbs to create space and improve light penetration.

Different goals require different cuts, with thinning and heading being the two main types. Thinning removes an undesired branch all the way to a lateral or the trunk, while heading back reduces density but leaves a stub. Both are effective in controlling plant size and helping open the crown, but thinning has the added benefit of lessening wind block.

To avoid damaging the tree, make all pruning cuts in the early spring or late summer, before the leaf buds start to form. This allows the wounds to close faster and prevents the spread of disease and insects. When cutting a branch, twig or shrub, use sharp pruning shears or saws to ensure the cleanest cut possible. A dull blade can cause excessive bark damage and leave behind dangerous stubs. Always wear protective equipment when pruning, and do not climb a ladder if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.

When removing a dead or damaged branch, it’s important to find and follow the branch collar — a slight swelling of rough bark just below the base of the limb or stem (see illustration). It’s critical to avoid damaging the live tissue in order to keep water and pathogens from entering the wound. The best way to do this is by starting your cut on the underside of the branch and then working upward. After the branch is removed, cut at a 45-degree angle to prevent water from collecting and harboring harmful pathogens.

When shortening a branch or twig, prune to the lateral bud that points outward or upward, then cut about 1/2 inch above that bud. If the bud is too close to the cut, it will die and dieback into the new growth, so be sure to leave at least an inch of wood above the bud. Otherwise, a flat cut just above the bud will usually produce an outside branch. To avoid exposing the tree to disease, slant the cut at an angle to encourage the growth of a vigorous shoot. The slant also helps water run off the cut and prevent the formation of a wet wound.

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