Pruning trees is an important way to keep them healthy, shapely, and out of harms way. Removing branches actually helps trees grow when you know what you’re doing. Pruning can help by removing rot, directing growth away from buildings, and establishing dominant branches. Sometimes less is more!

Determine why the tree should be pruned:

Newly planted trees need very little if any pruning other than the removal of dead, broken or diseased branches.

Established young trees that have been in the ground for 2-3 years can be pruned to establish a lead stem, and branches can be pruned to ensure good structural strength and lower the maintenance needed as the tree matures.

Maintenance pruning of mature trees may be done to direct growth, to remove or repair hazardous branches, and/or to improve the health, balance and aesthetics of the tree.

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NEVER TOP A TREE!

Topping opens the interior of the tree to disease, pests, and rot. Furthermore, it does NOT keep a tree small. Trees typically grow even longer sprouts to make up for the lost foliage, it’s expensive, it can create new hazards, and it does not look good!

Pruning Tips

Pruning Don’ts:

  • Make all cuts just outside the branch DO NOT leave stubs.
  • DO NOT make flush cuts or shallow “scoop cuts”; neither of these allow the tree to make use of its own healing mechanism, but rather remove it altogether, leaving the tree wide-open to disease, pests and
  • Do NOT paint tree
  • Never remove more than one-third of the crown mass, preferably much

Pruning Dos:

  • Pruning is generally best done when trees are dormant, from late fall until early
  • Most pruning cuts should be thinning cuts; that is, twigs should be cut back to the originating Heading cuts may be made on small branches, just above a bud.
  • The best branching angle is approximately 35º (“ten o’clock” or “two o’clock”); narrower angles are weak and prone to breakage.
  • Clean pruning tools between each cut and between trees with bleach or rubbing alcohol when pruning diseased trees to help prevent spread of disease.

Prioritize the branches you prune

  1. Dead, diseased, or damaged branches, including stubs from previous pruning jobs
  2. Competing leaders (co-dominant stems); select the straightest, most desirable leader and remove or sublimate the rest
  3. Rootstock suckers (stems that form straight from the root ball)
  4. Trim or remove branches for clearance: signs, pedestrian,
  5. Remove branches that are badly placed, poorly attached, or have narrow V-shaped branch
  6. Lightly shape the tree for balance or desired form

Other pruning methods on established trees:

Structural pruning applies thinning and/or reduction (shown below) to modify the tree’s structure for the better. Following correction of structural weaknesses, other pruning methods can be applied to established trees. These include thinning, reducing, raising, and removal of dead and crossing branches (not shown). Each is used throughout the crown as shown below, or in portions of the crown. For example, one side of the crown was reduced to relieve a structural weakness and the other side thinned to balance shown on the front side of this cue card. Medium-aged and mature trees are the intended recipients of the thinning and reduction methods when they are applied to the entire tree, but neither corrects defects.

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The objective of structural pruning is to develop and maintain a dominant leader with branches that are no larger than half the leader diameter. Trees with this architecture are strong, have a high capacity to hold a large crown, and are efficient to manage.

There are three steps to structural pruning:

  • Identify the stem that will make the best leader
  • Identify the stems and branches that are competing with this stem (i.e., those that are large relative to the trunk)
  • Subordinate competing stems and branches with reduction and removal cuts, balancing and raising the crown as desired

[NEED TO ADD NEW TREE ILLUSTRATION GRAPHIC & KEY TEXT PAIRINGS HERE]