A Complete Guide to Pruning and Trimming Trees
Each fall, when the leaves fall from the trees, branches that were once covered in lush foliage also emerge from hiding. While many gardeners would rather never deal with fallen leaves mess, I enjoyed this opportunity to inspect every tree canopy. Now I take careful note of cutting lower branches off trees I may need to remove from the tree. Taking advantage of these quiet months, I have time to develop a plan for pruning and trimming landscaping trees.
Why is pruning trees important?
Branches are pruned for many reasons, all of which result in a tree that looks better and performs better. Although trees grow naturally without pruning, this regular landscaping routine allows your trees to reach their full potential and live a long life. But before you learn how to prune a tree properly, you need to know why you prune a tree.
Pruning healthy trees
Pruning plant health focuses on removing dead, dying, and diseased branches, rubbing branches, and any stubborn roots so that the entire tree continues to grow in a healthy manner. Opening up the canopy to allow light and air to filter throughout the tree allows more foliage to be planted while reducing the risk of disease.
At the bottom, suckers and water sprouts can weaken the wood and steal nutrients from the main tree. By helping a tree establish its primary tree and dominant leader, you can create a strong tree that will eventually withstand winter storms and strong winds.
Landscape maintenance and appearance combine to create the ideal plant you envision. By pruning and pruning trees in specific ways, you can promote fruiting and flowering, shape plants into specific shapes, and control plant size.
Trim for a safer space
Pruned trees are healthier, but also stronger. Safety issues are not usually considered, but they are definitely a good reason to prune trees. Trimming trees in your yard creates a safe environment for your family and friends.
Dead, diseased and weak branches pose a threat to people and property. When pruning trees, take the time to assess whether branches are too close to safety lights, power lines, or blocking the view of traffic.
Depending on where you live, it's also important to prune trees to trim branches and dead branches before hurricane season. Too many leaves can cause trees to become top-heavy in a storm and fall more easily, while fallen branches can damage houses or plants below.
Correct pruning
When thinning, reducing, and shaping branches and branches small enough to prune with hand tools, remember that your cutting will encourage new growth. With this in mind, cut branches 1/4 inch above the shoots facing the outside of the plant. This will be the new growth direction. Keep the incision at a 45-degree angle to avoid water damage and disease.
3 cuts of thick branches
Properly pruned branches will form a callus on the branch that was once removed. This callus is vital to the health of the tree. Most branches pruned back to the trunk or main branch require three cuts to avoid damaging the bark. The first two cuts remove weight from the branches, and the last cut is designed for optimal callus growth.
Step 1: The first cut the underside of the branch.
Drive up about 18 inches from the bottom of the branch you want to remove. This is the perfect place for your first cut. Cut the branches about halfway.
Step 2: Second cut the top of the branch.
Move to the top of the branch. Choose a location one inch away from the first cut. Cut carefully until the branch snaps off.
Step 3: The third cut outside the collar.
Find the collar of the branch on your trunk. This is the stem tissue around the base of the branch. On most trees, you will see some swollen and rough bark in this area. You want to make the final cut on the outside of this collar, but don't leave a stub. Make a complete cut at a 45-degree angle from the base of the tree. This prevents water damage and promotes rapid callus formation.
Tree Pruning Tips
Pruning trees may seem like a big undertaking - and it is. I recommend leaving large, mature shade trees to qualified arborists and arborists. They have the proper equipment and training to safely remove large branches. Ornamental and fruit trees are the perfect place to learn how to prune trees. Most are easily accessible and require simple tools.
Start pruning trees early
Proactive homeowners start pruning after planting a tree. Diseased, dead and broken branches should be removed immediately. Shape cutting is only necessary in the first winter after planting. Regular pruning throughout a tree's life cycle can reduce tree labor and stress. Pruning a tree every year creates a strong and beautiful tree from the start.
When is the best time of year to prune?
Removing dead, damaged or diseased branches is always the best time. But most trees benefit from pruning in mid to late winter. Pruning during dormancy will encourage new growth once the weather warms. The absence of leaves after fall allows you to easily identify branches and branches that need to be removed.
Note that some trees may bleed if pruned in late winter. For example, winter pruning of maple trees is ideal but can lead to bleeding. Don't worry - once the tree starts to grow leaves, the sap will stop flowing. It is not dangerous and will not harm your tree.
While I like to make cutting plans in the fall, I always wait a few months before I actually start cutting. Pruning trees in the fall can introduce disease. In warm fall conditions, it may even encourage new growth, which suffers as temperatures drop.
Summer tree pruning isn't a popular option, but it can sometimes be beneficial if careful. Seasoned gardeners use summer pruning to control growth by slowing tree or branch development. The best time for this form of pruning is after seasonal growth has peaked. By removing the entire foliage of the plant, the amount of nutrients delivered to the roots and the overall growth of the tree can be reduced.
Now that we've determined the best time of year to prune trees, let's talk about flowering trees. They don't quite follow the rules. Flowering trees are divided into two categories: early and late.
See more:
Early flowering trees
Early-flowering trees produced buds in last year's growth. For example, a tree that bloomed in early 2018 will bloom in 2017. If you prune in winter, your tree will not bloom. Instead, prune as soon as the tree blooms. Early flowering trees include:
apricot
apple cherry
Ornamental cherries
blooming plum
Magnolia
Late flowering trees
Trees that bloom in late spring to early summer sprout on new shoots that year. For example, a tree that blooms in June of that year blooms in the same year's growth. These trees should be pruned in early spring for best flowering:
catalpa
cornelian cherry
american smoke tree
hawthorn
Japanese tree lilac
Three ways to prune trees
There are many ways to improve the health and shape of trees. The goal of each is to create a tree with good light and air circulation, attractive qualities and strength. The four most popular tree pruning methods for general pruning are canopy thinning, canopy lift, canopy reduction, and canopy cleaning. You may notice that any pruning method affects the canopy. This is because the canopy is essential for the leaves to produce photosynthesis. Without a strong and healthy canopy, the rest of the tree will weaken over time.
Crown thinning
Canopy thinning involves pruning the tree to remove certain living branches to reduce the overall density of the tree. Thinning is the most common pruning performed on mature trees. It increases sunlight penetration and air circulation. It also reduces the stress on selected limbs from gravity, wind, ice or snow.
Because the goal is not to change the size or shape of the tree, the refinement should be consistent across the tree. You should only remove 10 to 20 percent of the branches from the edge of the canopy. Large trees will benefit from removing the end sections of branches that are 1 to 4 inches in diameter. Small ornamental and fruit trees can be thinned by removing small branches that are 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. You should trim the tree to thin the canopy so that the tree still looks completely unpruned.
Crown increase
A crown lift raises the bottom edge of a branch to reveal traffic, buildings or views. This pruning method should be done gradually over a long period of time. Removing too many lower branches at once can result in a weaker tree. When pruning each year, remove only a few branches that are less than 4 inches in diameter.
I like to periodically step back and look at the overall balance of the tree. Deciduous trees should have a living canopy of 60% of the tree. If the trunk starts to exceed 40%, the tree may be weakened. Most conifers can be balanced at a 50% canopy to 50% trunk ratio and still be strong and healthy.
Crown reduction
Canopy reduction is a tree pruning technique usually used on older, more mature trees. It can help strengthen trees and encourage new growth. Crown reduction moves branches back into growing side branches. When the growing season begins in spring, this side branch will become part of the new canopy.
I find this method gentler than tree top. There are smaller incisions, less crown removal and a lot of old growth left for the structure. While crown thinning is done to reduce branches and foliage, the goal of crown reduction is to remove old growth while encouraging new growth.
Crown cleaning
Canopy cleaning is the removal of dead, diseased, and broken branches when cutting lower branches off trees. It can be done anytime and should be part of crown thinning, lifting and reduction. Cleaning the canopy strengthens the entire tree, preventing future damage to the tree and surrounding property, while improving the overall safety of the landscaping.
