Trim small branches the right way

What you'll learn

• Locating the branch collar and understanding why cutting flush against the trunk causes problems
• How a three-cut sequence helps professionals remove larger limbs without tearing bark
• Why stripping out inner canopy growth or leaving stubs weakens a tree
• When it makes sense to set aside hand tools and find an independent tree professional

Step by step

1. Stay on stable ground and use only hand pruners. Stop immediately if the job calls for a pole, a ladder, a chainsaw, or any cut above your head.
2. Locate the branch collar by spotting the raised tissue connecting a limb to its main stem. Plan your final slice just beyond that ridge instead of cutting flat against the bark.
3. For bigger limbs, tree pros use three cuts: an undercut, a cut farther out to drop the weight, then the final cut just outside the collar. Dropping heavy limbs is not a weekend project. Keep your own work to small pieces you can reach from the ground.
4. Have a clear purpose for every cut: dead wood, a specific clearance, or a rubbing limb. Avoid leaving stubs or stripping out inner foliage.
5. Skip wound paint on most cuts. ISA treats removing 25 percent of the living canopy as a broad maximum, not a yearly target, and suggests less for older trees. If a task goes beyond hand tools used from solid footing, Limb SD can connect you with a licensed, insured independent tree pro.

Further reading

• ISA: Pruning Mature Trees
• ISA: Why Topping Hurts Trees
• CSU Extension: pruning mature shade trees