Well, this is sort of woodworking and we have few rules on his Forum......
I have some 2-3" size limbs to remove from trees. Some stick straight out from the trunk, while others stick up at a steep angle. I recall that the thinking on the distance and angle to prune has changed over time. So what is the best distance and angle to cut limbs off? I have been told that painting the remains is not recommended. True?
I bought a Milwaukee 18V SawsAll. Got a long tree cutting blade for it. I anticipate it will be ideal for the job.
Sure..it's woodworking..so is building campfires and composting sawdust
The branch collar is always the place to prune. The BC is usually a bit swollen, but not always. It's the physiological separation point between branch and trunk. Inside the BD there are special guard cells waiting to be called to duty to compartmentalize decay.
Dr. Shigo told us that if our goal was to create hollow spots in trees for future wood duck nests then we should make flush cuts. If our goal was to grow strong trees with clear wood then we should make good cuts
Dr. Shigo is called The Father of Modern Arborculuture...and a supporter of dropping the 'i' between arbor and culture lol. He was a plant pathologist for the USFS. His original research goal in the early '60s wqs to find the best pruning paint. Something that could be used to stop decay. 20 some years later he told us how trees grow and to make proper cuts. There is no 'magic paint'.
Arborists tossed out the tree paint in the very early '80s. There are some things coming out of current research that seem to hold hope but still experimental.
There are some reasons to consider a covering which are related more to insects being attracted to the odors...oak wilt...or a seal ing film to reduce spores etc. from diseases drifting onto fresh wounds. "Fresh" is less than about fifteen minutes. After that it doesn't make a bit of difference. Many skeptical arbos roll our, I'm one fo them, about painting wounds if cutting is taking place during the wrong time of year. Are critters painting their chewed holes What about storm damage or a myriad of other wound creations.
Make the cut at the branch collar. Its actually easy to see once your eye is trained. Walk in the woods or down the street and see how the tree forms collars. With a little observation you'll know.
Bill - I've pruned tree branches with the same saw. Love it. One thing I know and have verified is that it is best to rough cut the larger branches about a foot outside the intended finish cut, first making a relatively shallow cut on the bottom of the branch. This prevents any bark peeling due to the falling branch from damaging the tree inside the intended finish cut. You can then make a nice clean finish cut without fighting the weight of the branch. Also do not necessarily cut absolutely flush to it's base. If the branch has a thickened or wrinkled base, place the final cut at the outside boundary of this area for faster healing. Don't recall where I read this advice. I will try to find and post a picture from my PC of a healed wound cross section.
The most important thing I've learned is to remove the branch at precisely the right place - immediately past the branch bark ridge and collar. This is a kind of swollen area at the base of the branch. The angle depends on the angle of this area. You want to cut just past this collar but don't leave a stub of the branch sticking out and don't cut into the ridge/collar. If you leave a stub that wood can decay and eventually damage the tree since the tree may have trouble protecting itself by encapsulating the trauma. If you cut into the collar the tree might not be able to repair the pruning by growing over the end. It is surprising how quickly a healthy tree can grow protection over the cut.
Don't paint unless you want it to look painted - the word for many years has been paint doesn't help anything.
Be careful when cutting not to cut downwards and let the weight of the branch pull a strip of bark off the tree. You can make a partial cut up from the bottom then cut down from the top. If the branch is heavy and I can reach ok I like to cut it first a foot or so up the branch then trim off the small remaining piece.
A reciprcating saw with pruning blade is good but heavy if you have to climb and reach. The blade can bind in the cut and wrench the saw around so be prepared. Binding is likely if the branch twists as it moves. Like using a chainsaw, nibbling the kerf wider or removing a thin V with alternating cuts can provide blade clearance.
I prefer a hand saw, if possible, over a power saw, especially when climbing but also on the ground or standing in the back of a truck. My hands-down favorite is the Silky Zubat. I bought it (and most of my tree tools, chainsaw chains and bars, etc.) from Baileys Online. The Zubat is a one-piece saw but I also use a good folding saw at times. I can easily cut a 4"+ branch with the Zubat.
Be careful, of course. Lots of people are injured trimming, especially on limbs that can't be reached from the ground. Some by failing to wear a hard hat.
I am NOT an arborist. This is what I have learned from my tree doctoring books. Maybe Sir Dunlap will see this and correct any misinformation I've spewed.
You can find plenty of info by asking Mr Google nicely.
I'll vouch for the Silky as well if you need to use a pole saw. Great product. Same cutting rules apply. Bought one to replace my Craftsman after many years of use. My Silky reaches to 21 feet or so. Very handy.
Sorry, didn't read all the posts. But best advise is to double cut the branches. It limits and hopefully prevents bark tear and wood splinter. I usually start 2' away from the collar and take down the branch. That takes all the weight off the final good cut and increases the chances of a very clean cut for proper healing. Then go in to the collar and cut that 2' piece off.
I used to attend fruit tree classes given by Lockhart from UT. He said the only time not to prune was about August to December here in TN. The claim was that these times left the tree susceptible to freeze damage. I never understood the details of this warning.
Attended a three hour workshop by Dr. Shigo in the 1980's. Said he used to walk the woods looking at how trees healed from broken branches, and discovered the branch bark collar. Eventually bought one of his books, was a bit hard to follow without strong tree biology knowledge.
My first cut on a branch is about six inches from where I'll make my final cut; and my undercut is more than Garth's, about 1/3 of the branch thickness. It took me a long time to learn that, and my early pruning left a lot of scars from bark peeled off down the trunk of the tree.
If you live in an area where diseases are found like oak wilt there are calendar 'seasons'. Generally they are the time of year when leaves form to fall. Same with fruit trees.
For all trees the time when leaves are forming or falling in spring or fall is not a good time. The tree is putting a lot of energy into making leaves or storing energy. If the tree is wounded it has to divert energy to wound closure.
There has been research about pruning during growing season or dormant season. There is evidence that growing season pruning will result in faster wound closure and less decay. But not much.
Except for diseases, it's usually agreed the best time to prune is...when the saw is sharp.
Tom, when the subject of tree care last came up a couple of months ago, you mentioned Dr Shigo and his contributions to the subject. So I borrowed his book, Modern Arbor(i)culture, from our library and read it cover to cover. Lots to learn about trees. Especially interesting to me was the discussion of 'seal' vs 'heal' and how cells can react to a wound and seal off the surrounding area to prevent further harm. Thanks for pointing us in this new (to me, at least) direction.
A while ago I cut myself, not bad, and had a large bandage on. I was at a tree event chatting with buddies. Someone asked what happened. I told them I got cut but it was almost sealed. Everyone broke up! Unless you know Shigo language it wouldn't be funny
Best time to prune -- today, around here. Not to hijack this thread, but I posted separately about an unexpected snowstorm here on Monday night, into Tuesday. It was our third significant incidence of wet, heavy snow in about six weeks.
Driving around town I see lots and lots of broken tree limbs, including in my own yard. There's going to be a lot tree trimming and debris set along the curbs on trash day. The broader the leaves on the tree, the more damage it sustains.
I have seen a lot of trees with very rotted-out cuts, no matter how they are made. I wonder if it would make any sense for specimen trees, to give cuts a little roof. i have some over 100 year old apple trees. The one that was loaded up with cement in a trunk long split, still gives apples every so often. And they are unlike anything I have ever eaten. Limbs sometime tear off, and you have a hole, wouldn't a little flap that stopped most of the water, but still allowed air to circulate be worth a try?
Also when best to prune if you aren't available for spring?
The decay micro organisms thrive in damp environments. Wood that’s submerged doesn’t rot nor does dry wood. The decay process in trees is complicated. Too much, for me, to write very much about
That I used to trouble about, but the trunk split. No matter where I make a cut on a large branch, it ends up with a hole in the center.
There's probably all kinds of stuff I could learn about the tree, but after buying various products and trying to seal branch ends, I'm done fooling with it. It's older than the upper limit (such trees are not decay resistant around here, just like fruit trees would not be - this is a type of tree that bears flowers, but no actual cherries).
The mrs. wants me to keep said tree relatively round because it's in the front yard, and I also have to keep it trimmed from the road - it's wide and relatively flat growing since there's nothing around it competing for sun.
The collar is a handy place to cut because it's just where a pole saw (in the case of this one) will cut the branch, anyway, but that doesn't prevent the branch from having holes in it.
At the split in the center of the tree (which is now 15 years old - the split itself - and freely accepts water when it rains) carpenter ants go to work from time to time, and I kill them. Other than that, no care for the tree - it's supposed to be dead by schedule, anyway.
