Tree Pruning Basics

Tree pruning is a critical part of good landscape maintenance and helps ensure the safety, health and beauty of a plant. It is also a way to repair storm damage, open vistas, provide clearance for structures and traffic and control the size of a tree or shrub. Most pruning is aimed at improving structure, but it can be used to correct poor form, repair damage, and stimulate or encourage new growth.

The best time to prune most trees is in the winter when they are dormant. This avoids the stress of pruning wounds on living tissue and prevents the onset of fungal infections that may occur when cambial activity is active.

Proper pruning starts with removing diseased, damaged or dead wood. This is important for all species of trees and shrubs because it helps prevent the spread of pathogens to unaffected parts of the plant and promotes healthy new growth.

Pruning should also include thinning or reducing the overall size of a tree or shrub. Thinning is done by selectively removing branches that are growing too close together or that have become excessive in size. It is important not to remove more than 30% of the total branches on a plant or it can become stressed.

During the early years of a tree, thinning should be limited to keep the dominant leader and side branches in balance. This will allow the canopy to expand in future years without becoming crowded or losing structural integrity. The lower branches of evergreens can also be thinned to reduce their weight and to improve light penetration through the crown.

Crossing or rubbing branches should be removed to eliminate unnecessary wounds and create space for future growth. Suckers and water sprouts (vertical shoots that develop from rootstock or the base of a lateral branch) should be removed as they divert energy from the desired structure of the plant. Downward-growing branches should be removed because they can cause injury to people or property and compromise the structure of a shade tree.

When removing large limbs, use the 3-cut method to prevent stripping of the bark. This involves making the first undercut with the saw about 1/3 of the way through the limb. The second undercut is made directly above the first and farther out to remove the stub. Finally, the final cut is made at the point where the stub meets the trunk or larger lateral branch. This technique will also prevent the removal of too much wood from the stub.

When using hand tools, it is a good idea to make the first undercut about 1/4 inch above a bud that faces outward (not toward the center of the plant). This will promote growth from buds on the outside of the stub and help to minimize tearing and bark damage.

Always remove a branch stub just outside the natural branch collar, a thick area of wrinkled bark where the branch attaches to the trunk. This will promote the formation of a callous and help to seal the pruning wound.

source https://caboolturetreeremoval.wordpress.com/2025/05/14/tree-pruning-basics-2/