 Tree trimming is an essential component of tree care in an urban setting. Limbs need to be removed over streets and sidewalks, away from roofs and gutters, or even in the yard if the homeowner needs to be able to walk under the tree. Removing these limbs may seem straightforward, and one might be tempted to remove them in such a way that it appears the limb never existed, by way of cutting it completely flush with the trunk. This is what we call a "flush cut" and it is an improper pruning technique that can cause serious harm to your tree. Trees have a response to wounding, coined "Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees" or "CODIT." A tree "walls" off decay in four layers of bark tissue, preventing decay from moving vertically, radially and tangentially. When a wound occurs naturally, the tree gets to work using its own defense mechanism to keep decay-causing fungi from spreading. When a wound occurs during routine tree pruning (yes - it's a still a wound!), a trained arborist can take steps to ensure the tree is given its best shot at using its CODIT system. Maintaining the branch collar is critical in tree pruning and allows the tree to form a proper callus around the wound. The illustration to the right shows a clear swelling of tissue at the branch collar as the tree is preparing to shed a dead limb naturally. Trees know what they're doing! When we prune live limbs, we can use this as a model for where to make our cut - by not cutting into the branch collar. The branch bark ridge is not always obvious, and when it is not easy to identify the collar, we consider it best practice to come away from the trunk slightly. It would be better to leave more of a stub than it would be to cut into the branch collar. In general (and certainly not in all cases), a proper pruning cut will result in a circular wound or as close to a circle as possible. In the photos, you can see the elliptical shape of the cut where the flush cut was made parallel to the trunk, but not perpendicular to the branch, resulting in a vertical ellipse where we can see the branch collar was removed. If you are unsure where you make a proper pruning cut, it's best to consult a certified arborist. You can read more about DIY Pruning in a previous blog post.
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37 Comments
7/14/2021 10:38:52 am
Safety pruning could improve the health and aesthetic value of trees and it really saves us much time and money from possible damage or expensive removal services in the future. It would probably be safer for us to hire a professional who offers tree services revere ma. Tom, my friend is a professional arborist in revere ma area with more than three years of experience in the industry, if you need setting up an appointment, call us at (339) 333-8534 7/14/2021 11:01:25 am
I agree that it’s important to get rid of the dead limbs and maintaining the branch collar is critical in tree pruning and allowing the tree to form a proper callus around the wound. It’s nice because ensuring a proper pruning cut will speed the sealing process of the tree. It would be kind of fun an excited to work with a tree care provider regarding this issue 9/14/2021 06:37:33 am
Great article! Flush cuts are pruning cuts made as close as possible to the trunk or main branch. They destroy the tree's natural defense mechanisms that promote wound compartmentalization and callus formation. Rather than pruning the trees on your own, hire a <a href = "https://www.easthilltree.com">tree removal company</a> to avoid damages on your trees. They know the best and correct ways to prune your trees. 12/8/2021 07:57:05 pm
Just wanted to say that I read your blog quite frequently and I’m always amazed at some of the stuff people post here 12/29/2021 05:25:13 am
I never knew that limbs need to be removed over streets and sidewalks, away from roofs and gutters, or even in the yard if the homeowner needs to be able to walk under the tree. Having the trees trimmed would be more safety. Thank you for the information about tree trimming. 12/29/2021 08:29:52 pm
Thank you so much for providing me with a great guide on why you can't just cut any branch you like when tree trimming. I had just assumed that you can cut these off willy nilly, but this sounds a lot more complicated than I thought. I'll have a tree service expert help me out with this so we can make sure it gets done correctly. 1/4/2022 09:58:12 pm
I know what to do, thank you! Actually this Blog post helped me a lot. I hope you continue writing about this kind of entry. 1/10/2022 08:23:54 pm
Thanks for pointing out that tree trimming is an important component of tree care in an urban setting. My husband and I want to improve our property before our parents come to visit in March. We are hoping to find experts on Monday who can provide tree care by trimming the tall trees in our backyard within three days. 1/12/2022 05:56:44 pm
It helped when you mentioned that pruning can break a tree. My uncle mentioned to me last night that their tree has broken branches and asked if I have any idea what is the best option to do. Thanks to this informative article and I'll be sure to tell him that he should consult trusted tree pruning services as they can answer all his inquiries and will provide good-quality service. 7/14/2022 09:12:46 pm
I was captured when you discussed that inappropriate pruning procedures can cause severe harm to your tree. My father wants to trim some of our trees since they are damaging the gutter. I should advise him to let an expert in tree branch trimming do the job to ensure it won't harm the trees. 8/2/2022 12:17:18 pm
Thanks for mentioning that pruning should always result in a circular cut. I'm hoping that I can get my cherry tree pruned this week. It's getting a little out of hand, so I want to hire a professional to take care of it. 8/10/2022 09:08:49 am
My trees have been having issues, and I'm not sure what to do about it. It makes sense that I would want to get a tree specialist to help me out with this. They would be able to ensure that the right branches are cut. 9/3/2022 02:51:23 am
Nice! This will be a great addition to my knowledge about tree services. 9/3/2022 04:44:56 am
Nice! This will be a great addition to my knowledge about planting trees. 10/19/2022 02:26:17 am
Thank you for pointing out that keeping the branch collar in place is essential when trimming trees because it enables the tree to develop a good callus around the wound. My mother wants to have a tree that is close to an electric wire removed. I'll advise my mother to hire a tree removal expert to help her get rid of the tree safely. 12/7/2022 05:09:07 pm
Thanks so much for talking in detail about how tree trimming works and why it's important to do. My sister has a few trees in her yard and she's not sure if they need to be removed or just trimmed. She's been looking into finding a professional to help her make the decision and carry it out. 12/13/2022 12:39:03 am
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