Cut side branches growing from the main trunks up to four feet off the ground. Don't leave stubs. Prune all branches above four feet growing toward the center of the tree. Always cut back to a larger branch of the trunk.
Caution: Do not prune too high too quickly. To lift the crown, remove lower limbs throughout several years. No more than 25 percent of the live crown should ever be removed in an annual growing season. Most trees benefit from thinning — removing a portion of the limbs that compete for space and light.
Topping Does Not Make Trees Safer
Improper cuts from stubs or topping don't heal as readily and may not be able to close. The exposed wood creates decay, entry points and pathways for pests, diseases and destructive organisms to move into and through the branches.
To find the proper place to cut a branch, look for the branch collarthat grows from the stem tissue at the underside of the base of the branch (Fig. 6A). On the upper surface, there is usually a branch bark ridge that runs (more or less) parallel to the branch angle, along the stem of the tree.
While some plants need a heftier prune than others, in general, the golden rule is to trim no more than 15 to 20 percent of a tree's canopy at one time. Keep that in mind for next time. Let's focus on the now. If your plant was already pruned too much, use this step-by-step guide to fix the damage.
If a tree repeatedly loses too much of its canopy at one time, it can become weak or even die from the stress. That's why you shouldn't trim more than 25% of a tree's canopy at one time. Cutting the branch collar can also be a nasty error.
Generally, the best time to prune or trim trees and shrubs is during the winter months. From November through March, most trees are dormant which makes it the ideal time for the following reasons: Trees are less susceptible to insects or disease.
Differences Between Pruning and Trimming
Webb said pruning typically involves removing dead or diseased wood and thinning out stems and branches to improve the overall health and appearance of a plant. On the other hand, trimming typically involves cutting back plant material for reasons other than health concerns.
An improper cut like a flush cut (cutting too close to the trunk) or a stub cut (cutting too far from the trunk) can cause irreversible damage to a tree. A flush cut removes the branch collar and leaves a large wound in the side of the tree that won't heal properly.
Cut too much and you'll risk nutritional deficiencies or branches that are too weak to tolerate the wind or fend off diseases or insect invasions. Over pruning and topping can permanently disfigure your trees, or even kill them. Further, a tree's foliage is important for protecting it against excessive sun exposure.
A crown lift is the pruning technique of removing lower branches on a mature tree which lifts the canopy or crown of the tree. It's a really simple technique that is woefully underused in tree pruning.
Pruning during the growing season always stimulates new growth. During summer's heat, having to produce that ill-timed new flush of growth greatly stresses a tree. Pruning in the fall is even worse as it prevents the tree from going into a natural dormancy. The exception is heavily damaged, disease or dead wood.
Increased light and air circulation resulting from trimming encourages the overall health of the tree. Pruning in the summer helps to support robust and durable branch development, which will help support healthy fruit in the future.
The Differences Between Pruning and Trimming
Tree pruning involves the removal of live branches, as well as dead, diseased, and damaged branches for the health of the tree, while tree trimming only involves the removal of branches that interfere in some way.
Municipalities and homeowners often remove the lower limbs for pedestrian and vehicular clearance or to let the sun shine in for grass to grow. Mature trees, especially evergreens, benefit when healthy lower branches are left intact. Removing large limbs can increase the risk of decay.
The answer is: do not trim your trees in the fall! Trimmed trees may look neater to you, but dead or diseased trees are not very neat at all, and that's what you are risking by cutting back trees that are slipping into dormancy. Pruning trees stimulates them to produce new growth – it's meant to.
Helps Control Disease
Some trees, like oaks, should only be pruned during the dormant season because they are especially susceptible to oak wilt disease, which is known to spread extremely fast in the spring and summer.
Pruning Methods
Side pruning involves pruning branches growing toward power lines on one side of the tree only. Any tree with a base located 15 feet or more away from the center line of BrightRidge conductors will be side pruned. “L” pruning is practiced when tree limbs cannot be pruned to a suitable lateral.
Some have learned that pruning wounds should be sealed with a pruning compound to “protect” the plant from insects and pathogens. However, scien- tific research tells us that pruning compounds and sealants actually do more harm than good when applied to plants (with one exception which I will mention later).
A tree wound sealer is a commercially available product that is applied to the cut section of a recently pruned tree or shrub. In many ways, the idea of applying a tree wound dressing makes sense to a gardener, as a kind of Band-Aid for the plant.
Large scale destruction of trees—deforestation—affects ecosystems, climate, and even increases risk for zoonotic diseases spreading to humans. As the world seeks to slow the pace of climate change, preserve wildlife, and support more than eight billion people, trees inevitably hold a major part of the answer.