by Chris Ferguson

Created on: April 04, 2007   Last Updated: June 20, 2011

The first thing to know is what is your goal by cutting on the tree? Do you need it off the house? Do you need it out of the way for easy passage underneath? Or are you just making it look better while promoting healthy, even growing?
Let's just say it's the latter. There's a few things you should know before making a cut. You should never make a cut unless you have what you consider a valid reason for making the cut.

#1) Dead wood- Cut all dead pieces back to the originating union. don't leave big knobs or sticks sticking out because ants and other bugs will invade it and spread to the parts that are still healthy. Some experts say that on some species, you should spray paint over the fresh cut if it is bug season. Especially sweet fruit trees. Make all your cuts as clean as possible.

#2) Co-dominants & Split Unions- Try to get rid of the weaker side and maybe mend up the split if there is one. If you have this problem with a lead from the trunk, you may want to consult a professional. You don't ever want to "prune" more than 20-25% off of the tree as a general rule. Make all your cuts in front of the next union and make sure that when the branch is "green", you make an undercut at least 1/3 the way through the branch so it doesn't rip the bark when you cut down from the top. A good rip can do a tree in for good. Another way to avoid rips is to make one cut further away from the trunk and when most of the weight is relieved, make your second cut closer to the union, and finally a flush cut to the next union.

#3) Crossing/ Rubbing branches- Sometimes when a branch constantly rubs on something else, it can become weak and potentially dangerous if it is a larger one. You should remove these if it appears to get worse. Sometimes two branches can fuse together and this isn't always bad, but something to keep an eye on.

#4) Interior branches- All the little branches that lead off of the main stems on the inside of the tree that don't make up part of the canopy are usually just going to die eventually if they don't make it to the sunlight, so these can be removed.

#5) Canopy- This should be carefully planned out because you can unbalance a tree or put a big hole in the canopy if you are not careful. Always look at the whole branch and decide how much should be removed to achieve your goal. Once again, bottom cut first and make all cuts flush to the leading union. You can raise or even out a canopy without taking out half the tree by clipping the bare minimum in the right places.

You should always use safety gear whenever pruning trees. Gloves, Safety glasses, Sometimes even a hard hat could save you a big headache. When you use a ladder, tie it to the tree, have a spotter, and maybe tie you to the tree. You can avoid accidents by predicting exactly which way a branch will fall and on larger branches, even tie the branch to be cut with a rope which is ran through a higher union and held by a helper. When the branch is cut, it will be under control of the ground helper.

As always with bigger projects, remember the 5 ps...Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Your trees will appreciate a good trim at least every couple years but always look out for dangerous branches and call a pro when it gets to be too big for you. And when you are done with each trim, look to make sure there aren't any cut branches hanging in the tree which may later be blown out and fall unexpectedly.

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