Tree pruning information:
Hello, I’m RJ Laverne and today we’re going to be talking about tree pruning and trimming this oak tree properly.
Now pruning an oak tree is not really much different than pruning a maple tree or a birch tree or most other trees that have leaves but there’s a few simple rules to follow that will give us the proper pruning cut and allow this tree to live happily ever after.
But, before we get into putting saws to wood let’s talk a little bit about safety.
Since I’m going to be working underneath the canopy of a tree I’m going to wear my hard hat that’s in case anything drops off I won’t get clocked on the noggin
and I’ll be able to work safely next I’m going to wear my safety glasses this is
very important especially when you’re using the saw chips of wood fly out
pieces of bark will fly at you and wearing good safety glasses will protect
your eyes.
Next you’ll notice that I’m working today with a good sturdy pair of leather gloves.
I’m going to be using a handsaw today and it’s quite sharp we need it to be sharp in order to make the proper cuts but one accidental pull across my skin could turn an otherwise productive day into an unfortunate trip to the emergency room so whenever you’re making good cuts make sure that you’re wearing the proper protective equipment.
You’ll also notice that I am not using a chainsaw today the branch that I’m removing is only about an inch and 3/4 thick there’s no need for power tools today Even if this were a larger branch I certainly would not use a chainsaw to cut over my shoulders so all of the cuts today we’re going to use a handsaw. If you encounter on your oak tree a larger branch that needs to be removed or a branch the tireup in the tree crown make sure that you call a qualified professional arborist and they’ll safely do the pruning for you.
There’s a couple of features that we’re going to look for on this tree that will help us decide where we want to make the pruning cut on the top of this branch and this is the branch that we’ll be removing on the top of this branch is a saddle of bark and you can see it from either side of the branch attachment and that’s called the branch bark Ridge. That is the area where the bark from the trunk and the bark from the branch meet and the bark layers are being pushed up and outside of that branch Union.
We’re going to use that to help us locate the cut you’ll also notice that at the base of this branch there’s a swollen area that’s the area where the wood tissue from the trunk overlaps with the wood tissue from the branch now we don’t want to cut into the wood tissue from the trunk because it’s going to be that wood tissue that grows new wood and covers up the pruning wound that we’re about to make.
So, our pruning cut will want to be not flush with the trunk but rather at the base of the branch and outside of this swollen area that’s the branch collar and that’s the line that we’ll use to make our pruning cut. Now I could take my pruning saw and just start to cut in that area and make one cut but chances are the weight of the foliage on this limb would tear the bark off when I got about 3/4 of the way through my cut and that would leave damage to the trunk that’s unnecessary so instead of doing that we’re going to use a 3 cut system that will first relieve the weight from the branch and then we’ll take off the remaining branch stub without doing excessive damage to the trunk.
First I will make a cut on the underside of the branch about a quarter of the distance through that’s going to relieve the compression tension on the bottom of this branch next I’ll make a cut from the top side of the branch and that will remove the hanging branch and remove the weight okay find the branch bark Ridge and make sure my final cut is outside of those two features.
So let’s go ahead and make that cut now and as I get to the bottom. I’m going to work my way slowly and make sure that I’ve got the perfect clean cut and there we go as you can see it’s a nice clean cut outside of the branch collar and in two
or three years that wound will be closed over by the new wood tissue formed by
the trunk that’s about as difficult as it gets to pruning this oak tree.
Don’t forget where the proper protective equipment use the three step approach to making your final cut and work safe every time.
For the best price tree trimming and tree pruning in Gainesville, FL contact Collins Tree Service at 352-301-1503.