Avoid These Trees-Killing Pruning Mistakes

If you know how to prune properly and, more essential, why you're doing it, you won't make any mistakes.

Pruning is performed on trees and shrubs for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to size reduction, canopy opening, obstruction removal, shape improvement, and removal of diseased or dead branches and limbs. Pruning should be done properly for whatever cause you have in mind to maintain the tree's or shrub's continued health and vitality.

Aesthetic pruners and arborists have specialised education and training in tree and shrub anatomy, growth habits, and pruning techniques. After taking into account the plant's general shape, they prune away or alter only the branches that pose a threat to its well-being, endanger nearby persons or property, or diminish the plant's overall character. One of the keys to effective pruning is to make as few cuts as necessary to get the desired effect, as each pruning cut is an injury to the plant. A healthy, robust plant with a form that develops naturally is the end product.

Prune At The Right Time

Identifying whether or not you are performing your pruning at the ideal time of year is the first step.

There are several positive outcomes from performing pruning in the winter. Most shrubs and trees are best pruned during the winter, when they are dormant and easier to access. It's less traumatic for the plant, and you'll be able to observe the branch structure more clearly, and it won't transmit any disease. When trees are pruned in the winter, they recover faster in the spring.

Do not prune in the autumn. New growth that has been stimulated by pruning cuts will be lost when the temperature drops below freezing. Energy output from trees and shrubs declines towards the end of the growing season, thus the plant must draw on its stored energy for new growth during the fall months. As a result of the freeze, most of the growth that had been occuring had to be abandoned, wasting the energy that had been put into it.

Neither the leaves nor the blossom bud should be lopped off. The flower and leaf that a tree formed in the summer may be lost if the tree is pruned in the fall. These buds lie dormant over the winter and open up in the spring. If you cut off these dormant buds, the plant will have to expend more energy to generate new buds in the spring, which could mean fewer blooms and less foliage. Pruning rhododendrons and conifers, for instance, is best done in late summer, before the plants set buds for the next spring.

Similar results will be seen if you trim spring-flowering shrubs and trees in autumn or early spring, as this is also when they are dormant. If you want to prune them, wait until after they've bloomed.

You shouldn't prune trees if they're susceptible to pests or diseases. Even if you avoid the most common faults listed here while making pruning cuts, you could still leave your plants and trees vulnerable to disease pathogens spread through the air or by insects if you prune them at the incorrect time. Oak wilt or Dutch elm disease, for instance, are transmitted by beetles which are drawn to fresh pruning cuts and other types of tree wounds. Never prune a tree in the spring, summer, or early fall whenever the beetles are active, or you risk spreading a disease that can kill the tree.

Make Perfect Pruning Cuts

No Flush Cutting

The flush cut is a typical error made by amateur pruners. Whenever a branch is severed at a right angle to the bark of a tree trunk or bigger limb to which it is attached, this happens.

The branch collar, which is necessary to establish a closure over the pruning cut, is lost when making a flush cut, no matter how streamlined the result may appear. To prevent disease and pests from entering and harming the plant, avoid making cuts that are so deep that the plant cannot heal over the wound.

Find the branch collar, the expanded area around the branch's base, and make your cut just beyond it to prevent a flush cut. By making a cut here, you can encourage healing by encouraging tissue inside the limb collar to grow back and cover the injury.

No Stub Cutting

The reverse of flush cuts, stub cuts leave a stub that protrudes from the branch and is too long for the branch collar to develop over it.

A good general rule to follow to prevent stub cuts is that if a branch stub is long enough to hang a hat from, it is too long.

No Lion Tailing

The practise known as "lion tailing," in which internal branches are cut out and only the tips are left with foliage and growth, is another typical error. It is not advised to engage in this behaviour because:

• Takes away the tree's photosynthesis-required leaves
• Reduces the tree's stability by shifting the load to the tips of its branches.
• exposing the crown to possible wind damage and solar burn,
• Root and shoot growth along the branches and trunk (also known as "watersprouts") responds favourably to stress. Reaction sprouts appear when a tree has been pruned too severely; this is because the tree is trying to compensate for the loss of photosynthesis by producing new growth as rapidly as possible.

No Heading Cuts

In particular, huge branches suffer greatly from heading cuts, which are destructive to their structural integrity as well as their aesthetic value.

A heading cut removes a branch's terminal node at random or at the branch junction, leaving behind a small, unproductive offshoot.

The sprouting of numerous, weakly joined, and unnaturally angled side shoots surrounds a pruning cut made at a random spot on a branch. Leaving a little stub of a branch at the tip of an extensive branch heading cut is not only unsightly, but it also poses a safety risk to the small stub as it grows upward and outward from the unstable stub.

If you've ever seen a topping tree or a forsythia after it was sheared, you recognize that heading cuts don't usually turn out well. The resulting tangle of thin shoots looks awful, can easily break off, and necessitates more frequent trimming to keep under control.

If you want to know when, where, and why heading cuttings are the best option, you should see a Certified Arborist.

Apply The 3-Cut Method

Tore bark is a common occurrence on trees in which massive branches are removed by an amateur. The usual culprit is a single clumsy cut instead of a series of cuts during pruning.

Large branches require a three-step procedure for pruning:

• Begin by making a small incision one or two inches beyond the collar of the branch on its underside. If the branch should fall when you're cutting it, this will function as a cushion and stop the bark from tearing.
• Second, make a clean cut through the limb between two and four inches outside the branch collar to eliminate the branch and a stub.
• Last but not least, lop off the leftover piece of branch by sawing all the way through it past the collar.

Use The Appropriate Pruning Tools

Pruning equipment consists of four distinct tools: shears, loppers, saws, and chainsaws. The more substantial the branch you're slicing, the more robust your tool needs to be. The annoyance and risk of illness and insect infestation that results from trying to slice through one 3-inch branch with just a lopper is just one example. It is imperative that all cutting tools be in good working order, including being sharp, correctly tuned, and the appropriate size for the task at hand.

Topping The Tree

Tree topping is one of the most harmful possible treatments for a tree. Surprisingly, this continues to be done, and some tree services even promote it as a service they provide to their clients. When hiring a professional arborist, homeowners may mistakenly ask for "topping," but this is not what should be done with large trees.

To what extent does damaging a tree by cutting off its top affect its health? Topping is the practise of reducing the height of a tree by cutting off its main trunk or branch leader at an arbitrary location below the tree's apex. The trunk or main branch is the lifeline of the tree. It appeared as the first shot of the tree, expanded upward, and produced the lateral (side) limbs that ultimately became the crown. It's the secret behind why a well-kept old tree may appear so stable and "just perfect."

Trees typically respond to being topped by producing several "watersprouts." These flimsy, poorly attached shoots appear in clusters at the tips and midpoints of branches. Unfortunately, this is the tree's natural stress response after suffering the loss of a major supporting branch.

Additional remedial work on trees is required once they have been topped. If you care about the tree's growth and shape, you'll need to remove all the suckering branches. Moreover, the tree's structure will be compromised because of the fragility of these limbs in a windstorm.

Except in extreme circumstances, no professional pruner will ever use topping cuts. Instead, a skilled pruner will assess the species of tree at hand, choose a healthy lateral limb along the trunk, and make the appropriate pruning cut above it. If this works, the lateral branch would eventually become the dominant one and continue to expand upward.

Large Branches Pruning

Large diameter pruning cuts (greater than 3 or 4 inches) might leave trees vulnerable to disease and decay. The best way to remove a large diameter branch is to cut it back to the trunk, although this depends on the crown and branch structure of the tree in question. The branch collar will be able to effectively heal the injury.

And if you're a landowner, there are certain crucial considerations you should make before deciding to remove huge branches on your own.

• Safety- You're putting yourself in harm's way if you can't cut the branch you need from the ground. Pruning tools make even the steadiest tripod orchard ladders unsteady, and climbing into the tree's branches is even riskier.
• Liability- As is the possibility of harming yourself or others due to a fall or when using sharp, heavy tools, as well as the possibility of damaging your own or a neighbor's property due to falling branches. Make sure you have adequate insurance if you plan to prune.
• Damage- Pruning heavy branches can be dangerous, and many do-it-yourselfers simply throw them to the ground since they don't have the proper tools to rig and lower them. Branches that fall cause more harm to your tree than just to you or your neighbours; they can break other branches and tear bark as they fall. Furthermore, this does not include the garden or flower beds located below the tree.
• Disposal- When you notice a big branch on the ground, it's usually much bigger than you expected it to be. It's possible that you'll end up with an unwelcome piece of "sculpture" in your yard if you don't have a straightforward plan for getting rid of all that wood.

One of the most common but most dangerous pruning blunders we witness is amateurs attempting to cut down enormous branches, which has resulted in several accidents and even fatalities.

Think about the advantages of hiring a professional pruner before attempting to remove that massive branch:

• the correct tools, 
• a skilled staff that can make clean cuts that heal faster, 
• protection against harm and liability, and 
• prompt removal of hazardous limbs.

Too Much Removing Of A Tree’s Crown

You may be tempted to get as much of the tree's crown removed at once if you haven't pruned it in a while.

Tree pruning is a process that takes time and effort. Depending on the tree's age, health, and needs, this is done at various times over time. Before making any cuts, an expert arborist takes stock of the tree as a whole to determine how little work is necessary to accomplish the desired results. Keep in mind that any pruning cut, no matter how precise, is still a wound that puts the tree under duress.

No more than 5–20% of the tree's crown should be cut at once, depending on the tree's size, age, and health. This is done so that the tree doesn't respond to stress by growing numerous weak suckering branches that can emerge in undesirable locations in the tree's crown and along its trunk. This excess growth drains a tree's resources and necessitates more pruning to remove.

Over-pruning can be disastrous for older trees, trees severely stressed by illness or dehydration, and trees in decline.

Pruning trees on a regular basis is the best way to ensure that their crown shapes are uniform and that any dead, diseased, dying, or otherwise abnormal branches are removed.

Conclusion

Trees and shrubs need pruning for many different reasons. During the winter, when plants are dormant and easier to work with, pruning is typically performed. The result is a strong, healthy plant with a shape that emerges organically. Rhododendrons and conifers are best pruned in late summer, before they set buds for the following spring. Don't make incisions too deep, or the plant might not be able to recover.

To avoid stub cuts, remember that a rule of thumb is that if a branch stub is long enough to hang a hat from, it is too long. Another common mistake is called "lion tailing," which involves chopping off the interior branches so that only the tips are left. See a Certified Arborist if you want to know when, where, and why heading cuttings are the best option. Each and every one of your cutting instruments must be in tip-top shape, including being sharp, in tune, and the right size for the job at hand. The proper pruning cut is made above a selected, healthy lateral limb along the trunk by a trained professional.

If this strategy proves effective, the lateral branch will overtake the main trunk and continue to grow. Trees may be more susceptible to disease and decay after receiving pruning cuts with a diameter of more than 3 or 4 inches. Maintaining a uniform crown shape and removing any dead, diseased, dying, or abnormal branches is best accomplished through regular pruning. Depending on factors such as tree size, age, and health, the crown should not be pruned more than 5–20% at a time.

Content Summary

• Pruning should be done properly for whatever cause you have in mind to maintain the tree's or shrub's continued health and vitality.
• Identifying whether or not you are performing your pruning at the ideal time of year is the first step.
• Most shrubs and trees are best pruned during the winter, when they are dormant and easier to access.
• When trees are pruned in the winter, they recover faster in the spring.
• Do not prune in the autumn.
• The flower and leaf that a tree formed in the summer may be lost if the tree is pruned in the fall.
• These buds lie dormant over the winter and open up in the spring.
• If you want to prune them, wait until after they've bloomed.
• You shouldn't prune trees if they're susceptible to pests or diseases.
• Even if you avoid the most common faults listed here while making pruning cuts, you could still leave your plants and trees vulnerable to disease pathogens spread through the air or by insects if you prune them at the incorrect time.
• Never prune a tree in the spring, summer, or early fall whenever the beetles are active, or you risk spreading a disease that can kill the tree.
• To prevent disease and pests from entering and harming the plant, avoid making cuts that are so deep that the plant cannot heal over the wound.
• Find the branch collar, the expanded area around the branch's base, and make your cut just beyond it to prevent a flush cut.
• The reverse of flush cuts, stub cuts leave a stub that protrudes from the branch and is too long for the branch collar to develop over it.
• A good general rule to follow to prevent stub cuts is that if a branch stub is long enough to hang a hat from, it is too long.
• In particular, huge branches suffer greatly from heading cuts, which are destructive to their structural integrity as well as their aesthetic value.
• If you want to know when, where, and why heading cuttings are the best option, you should see a Certified Arborist.
• Tree topping is one of the most harmful possible treatments for a tree.
• To what extent does damaging a tree by cutting off its top affect its health?
• Trees typically respond to being topped by producing several "watersprouts."
• Unfortunately, this is the tree's natural stress response after suffering the loss of a major supporting branch.
• If you care about the tree's growth and shape, you'll need to remove all the suckering branches.
• Except in extreme circumstances, no professional pruner will ever use topping cuts.
• Instead, a skilled pruner will assess the species of tree at hand, choose a healthy lateral limb along the trunk, and make the appropriate pruning cut above it.
• Pruning Large diameter pruning cuts (greater than 3 or 4 inches) might leave trees vulnerable to disease and decay.
• The best way to remove a large diameter branch is to cut it back to the trunk, although this depends on the crown and branch structure of the tree in question.
• And if you're a landowner, there are certain crucial considerations you should make before deciding to remove huge branches on your own.
• You're putting yourself in harm's way if you can't cut the branch you need from the ground.
• As is the possibility of harming yourself or others due to a fall or when using sharp, heavy tools, as well as the possibility of damaging your own or a neighbor's property due to falling branches.
• Make sure you have adequate insurance if you plan to prune.
• Think about the advantages of hiring a professional pruner before attempting to remove that massive branch: the correct tools, a skilled staff that can make clean cuts that heal faster, protection against harm and liability, and prompt removal of hazardous limbs.
• You may be tempted to get as much of the tree's crown removed at once if you haven't pruned it in a while.
• Tree pruning is a process that takes time and effort.
• Keep in mind that any pruning cut, no matter how precise, is still a wound that puts the tree under duress.
• No more than 5–20% of the tree's crown should be cut at once, depending on the tree's size, age, and health.
• This excess growth drains a tree's resources and necessitates more pruning to remove.