1. Pole saw &lopper head

2. Hand saws3. Helmet &

safety glasses4. Hand pruner5. Leather gloves6. Long handled

lopper

ProperTree

Pruning

PUB-FR-256 2003

Text by Don Kissinger, Tracy Salisbury, Urban Foresters,WDNR and Genny Fannucchi Forest Resource Educationand Awareness Specialist, WDNR. Design by Linda Pohlod,Graphic Artist, WDNR. Photos Bob Queen, Don KissingerWDNR and Dr. A. Shigo. Shigo & Trees Associates. Specialthanks to Ann Wied and Sharon Morrisey, UW-CooperativeExtension for their help with site selection and pruning.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesprovides equal opportunity in its employment, programs,services, and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan.If you have any questions, please write to EqualOpportunity Office, Department of Interior, Washington,D.C. 20240.

This publication is available in alternative format (largeprint, Braille, audio tape etc.) upon request. Please call608/267-7494 for more information.

“ Pruning is one of thebest things you can do

for your tree…it is the kindest cut.”

PRINTED ON RECYCLEDPAPER

ToolsPruning equipment should be sharp andwell maintained. Loppers and hand prunersshould be of the bypass or scissors type toprevent crushed limbs. Saws should havetriple edged teeth for quicker and cleanercuts. A hard hat, leather gloves and eyeprotection are recommended.

3-Step CutAvoid tearing bark by usingthese three sequential cutswhen pruning a limb youcannot support with one handwhile cutting with the other.Torn bark often leads to decay.

Step 1At least 12 – 18”from the final cut,make an undercutapproximately 1/3of the way throughthe branch.

Step 2Outside the firstcut, sawing fromthe top down,completely removethe branch. With themajority of the branchweight now gone, barktearing should not occur.

Step 3Begin the final cutoutside the branch barkridge, continuing at a slightly outward angle,finishing just outside the branch collar.Remember it is not necessary or appropriateto paint pruning wounds.

BranchBark Ridge

BranchCollar

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Stub cutsCutting branches several inches or feet fromthe parent limb or trunk does not allow forcomplete wound closure and can be an entrypoint for decay. Never leave a stub that a capcan hang from.

Pruning PaintPainting wounds can inhibit wound closure,allow decay and waste money. Only usewound dressing when an oak or elm treemust be pruned during the growing season toreduce the chance of disease transmission.

How to Prune

A properly pruned tree should look like nothingdrastic has been done. Good pruning should notbe determined by how many branches are on theground, but rather by what remains in the tree.

Avoid this!

A few minutes spentpruning is one of the bestthings you can do foryour tree. But what arethe best tools toaccomplish your taskand how can you avoidtearing or stripping barkfrom your tree?

Before

After

Final result

When to prune?The best time to prune any deciduous tree iswhen it is dormant, typically November -March in Wisconsin. The second best time ismid-summer, after leaf growth is complete.The worst time to do major pruning is in thespring, when tree buds and/or leaves are stillgrowing and food reserves are low. Dead limbsmay be removed any time of year.

How much to prune?The amount to remove depends on the tree’ssize, species and age as well as your pruningobjectives. Young trees can tolerate more branchremoval than mature trees. Avoid removingmore than 25% of the live branches nomatter the tree’s age, size or species.

What to do…Before pruning get to know your tree. Take astep back and envision what you want it tolook like in the future. If your tree is mature,its structure cannot be altered much. Limitthe pruning of newly planted trees to dead,broken or torn branches or to establish onlyone central trunk if the tree has two or more.

Structural pruning may begin the secondor third year after planting and everyother year thereafter until aboutyear 10. After that, pruning every5 to 7 years should reduce anymajor structural problems.

Remove crossing, competing,broken, dead, vertical,downward-growing or suckerbranches each time youprune. Never cut back yourtree’s leader, the top-mostgrowing point of the tree, it isvital to letting the tree develop itsnatural form. Avoid removingbranches larger than 4” in diameter asthe wound takes a long time to close.

Encourage strong branchattachments.Prune to allow for and encourage U-shapedbranch unions versus narrow V-shapedbranch unions. V-shaped branch unionstypically have included or in-rolled bark,indicating poor branch attachments thatwill fail over time.

Pruning SafelyMake safety your number-one priority.Do not prune trees near utility lines. If youcan remove a tree’s limbs while standing on

the ground do so, but proceed carefully.Any major job on a big tree should

be done by a professionalcertified arborist.

Pruning is oneof the mostimportantmaintenancetasks you canperform on yourtree. If pruningis done correctly,you will enjoya healthy, long-lived tree. Properplanning leadsto successfulpruning. Havea purpose beforemaking any cut.

Why prune?✔ Future Health - Young trees are pruned to

establish good branch structure andspacing, a central trunk and proper trunktaper. Mature trees are pruned to removedead and/or hazardous limbs.

✔ Safety - Pruning treeson boulevards, streetintersections and frontyards assures thatvision or sight lines ofmotorists, bikers andpedestrians are notcompromised. The need for safety pruningcan be reduced if, when planting, youchoose the right tree for the space provided.

✔ Aesthetics - Pruninghelps trees beautify ourenvironment andbecome landscape focalpoints. A well-prunedtree is not only safer, butalso looks better andincreases property value.

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Figure 1Always have a purpose inmind before making a cut.

Strong U-Shaped union Weak V-Shaped union

What not to do…Do not top treesThis hideous, high maintenance, expensivepractice stubs off large limbs regardless oftheir function and location within the tree.Topping subjects the tree to large open woundsthat will not quickly or easily close. It allowsinsect, disease and decay damage to occur anddrastically shortens the life of your tree.

Many timeshomeowners toptrees because theybelieve the tree isgetting too large.Instead of makingthe tree smaller,topping stimulatesthe rapid growthof multiple, weaklyattached branches.These branchesquickly get as tall ortaller than the tree was prior to pruning, thusnegating the reason for topping in the firstplace. People and tree care services thatadvocate topping are not knowledgeableof tree biology and should never beallowed to work on your trees.

Flush cutsMaking a finishing cut that removes thebranch bark ridge and branch collar (see Fig.2) creates a large wound and causes unevenand incomplete wound closure. Compare theresults below of a flush cut (left) and propercut (right).

Figure 2

Branches to prune1. Competing leader2. Vertical3. Crossing4. Downward-growing5. Broken or dead6. Suckers