From the garden
In today’s column is the second of a two-part pruning guide for trees and shrubs. In last week’s column was the ‘what to’ prune; this week discusses the ‘how to’ prune, providing some techniques in proper pruning.
The best time to prune landscape trees is when they are dormant, the months of January and into March. Pruning when trees are dormant allows a good look into the interior of the canopy to detect the conditions that need to be corrected, as discussed last week.
Assemble the right tools.
• Ratchet hand-held pruners are excellent for smaller branches and stems.
• Loppers are used for larger branches; depending upon the diameter of the branch to be cut, loppers come in various sizes, generally can cut wood up to 3 inches in diameter.
• Larger branches and limbs need a saw. There are several from which to choose, and each have their own advantage.
• Pole saws are an essential unless the pruner is agile and able to climb up the tree to reach wood that is higher in the canopy. Most pole saws have a straight blade for thinner branches and curved blades for thicker branches.
• Folding curve blade saws are great tools to have in the pruning arsenal as they can reach into tight spots growing at severe angles.
• Electric or gas-powered saws. Larger saws are used for cutting up felled trunks and branches; smaller saws are similar in shape to folding saws for thinner branches.
Make your cut(s)
• Use sharp, clean shears; place the blade against supporting limbs to allow for smooth, sloped, close cuts. Never wiggle shears through a cut; ragged wounds heal slowly.
• Make pruning cuts at lateral buds or branches that are angled outside.
• Remove the branches completely to their origin.
• Leave no stubs. A stub is any portion of the wound site that is longer than ½ inch. The wounded tissue of branch stubs does not heal correctly, rather it slowly becomes necrotic and dies back into healthy tissue. The decaying tissues of the wound site are susceptible to invasion of pathogens or pests.
• Cuts should be made close to the supporting limb but not flush as the wound tissue will continue to dry, leaving sunken, necrotic cavities. Leave no more than ¼ to ½ inch for proper wound healing.
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers
