Tree Pruning Tips

by J. Lynn Cutts, PhD
HomeOwnerNet Columnist

There are almost as many schools of thought about pruning trees as there are people who prune! And I'm not talking about dried plums, either. To try and shed some light of this confusion, I'm offering my own recommendations and interpretations.

Before you start to prune anything, take a good look at it and make sure it really needs to be pruned! As you stand there and stare at your potential victim, notice its general shape, and its size in relationship to its location and other trees and shrubs nearby. If the overall impression is favorable, then all you really need to do is a little "clean up" pruning. Trim back any over exuberant branches that are out of line with the rest of your tree or shrub, remove any dead, broken, or dying branches, and cut out any crossed branches that might rub together. Don't forget to cut back those weak and spindly shoots (suckers) that come up around the trunk.

Always make your cuts at or just above a bud, a branch, or night at the trunk of the tree itself, so you don't leave a little stub sticking out. That bud or branchlet is going to become the dominant one on that branch. Avoid cutting above a bud or branchlet that is pointing back in towards the central trunk, as this will result in an untidy mess of crossing branches in the interior of your tree. When pruning, consider which way you are going to want the new growth to go, and make your cut close to a bud or branchlet which is already headed in that direction.

If you need to remove a large branch, you'll want to use the 3 cut method. Make the first cut as much as 1 foot to 18 inches away from the trunk of the tree. Cut up from the bottom of the limb about one quarter to one third of the way through the limb. Then make a second cut from the top of the limb, a couple of inches closer to the trunk, but still a goodly distance away. Again, you'll only need to cut about a third of the way through the limb. Theoretically, the weight of the branch should cause it to break off between your third and final cut to remove the last bit of limb. This cut should be flush with the tree, but not cut deeply into the bark and not with a little bit sticking out.

Young trees need to be pruned so that they develop into strong, healthy, and attractive adults. In general, choose one strong central branch to be the leader, and prune out all other competing secondary leaders. A tree with 2 rival leaders, just like a country, can split down the middle since the crotch of that tree is very weak.

As your tree grows, you can determine the form it will take. If you want your tree to develop into an open, airy tree, thin out branchlets that develop along the sides of the main branches. If you want a tight, compact tree, leave these branchlets alone, and head back the very tips of the main lateral branches. To shape young pines, pinch back the growing tip by about half (candle) in the spring. Don't head them back, since on most evergreens, once a branch is cut, no new growth will form.

Sometimes, a tree gets bigger than a lot of people bargain for, and in 15 years or so, it is obstructing traffic or power lines, blocking windows or threatening a house. One of the unfortunate responses to this situation is to "top" or to "club" a tree - which is almost as bad as clubbing baby seals. Clubbing a tree means to severely and brutally cut the top of the tree way back. The tree responds to this by sending out hundreds of weak and spindly branches along the remnants of its once strong branches are vulnerable to wind damage, and a once beautiful plant is now an eyesore.

So what should you do if you are in the unfortunate position of having a tree that is too big for the spot it's in? It's sort of like having a Saint Bernard that thinks it is a lap dog. I don't know what you would do about the dog but the best thing you can do with the tree is to have it removed, and to plant a more appropriate choice in its place.

Well, there are the basics. But don't go out and prune everything in sight now. An if you have some really big trees that need pruning, it's probably a good idea to call a tree service. These guys are professionals and have the equipment and know how to do the job right and safely. You don't want to fall out of a 30 foot tree.