Tree Pruning LHAP 305

Slide 1 Tree Pruning D. Ballard LHAP 305 Slide 2 Tree Pruning Techniques Pruning for Structure Pruning to Thin Pruning to Clean Pruning to Raise Pruning to Reduce Pruning to Restore Pollarding Fruit Tree Pruning Other Forms of Pruning Slide 3 Pruning for Structure Removal of live branches and stems to influence the orientation, spacing, growth rate, strength of unions, and ultimate size of the branches and stems. Meant for small and medium sized trees Goals Keep limb size to less than ½ diameter of the trunk Reduce branch breaking Maintain the trunk and branch arrangement In a pruning plan Remove dead, damaged, and diseased branches Designate a single leader Establish the lowest permanent scaffold branches Establish scaffold limbs Slide 4 Picture of Pruning for Structure An Artistic Arborist. (n.d.). Details About Pruning. An Artistic Arborist. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025 Slide 5 Pruning for Structure of Conifers Steps 1 and 2 are the same. Step 3 - important depending on tree location and local by-laws. If no regulations, then don't need to do it. Step 4 - less important in conifers, typically only remove branches with weak attachments. Step 5 - only needed if a lowest permanent branch is established. Briones, G. (2025, June 17). How to Prune Conifers: 14 Steps (with Pictures). wikiHow. Retrieved November 19, 2025 Slide 6 Pruning to Thin Thinning is a selective removal of small living branches to reduce crown density Goals are to Retain proper shape Even spread of canopy Increased air flow Increased sunlight penetration Includes removal of sucker and water sprouts In a pruning plan Give a size range Max live wood to be removed Johnsons Nursery. (2024, Mar 8). Thinning cuts method of pruning. Johnsons Nursery. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025, M&M Tree Service. (n.d.). Tree Pruning & Trimming. M&M Tree Service. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025 Slide 7 Pruning to Clean Removal of dead, damaged, or diseased branches Goals Reduce hazards Reduce movement of decay, insects and diseases Main part of pruning plan “Clean branches 2.5 cm diameter and larger. A-Plus Tree care & Sustainability. (n.d.). Pruning Treatment Definitions. A-Plus Tree care & Sustainability. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025 Slide 8 Pruning to Raise Removing selected branches to provide vertical clearance Goals Clearance for people Clearance for vehicles Clearance for signs Clearance for buildings Keep the live crown ratio to 66% or higher In a pruning plan Giving specification for how high to raise the canopy “Raise 3 meters above the road by removal or reduction of interfering branches” Russell Tree Experts — Pruning Guide. (n.d.). Russell Tree Experts. Retrieved November 18, 2025 Slide 9 Pruning to Reduce Removal of branches to decrease height or spread of trees or shrubs Goals Reduce risk of failure Reduce height or spread Clearance from above utilities or structures Improved appearance Use reduction or removal cuts, not heading cuts In a pruning plan Include clearance distance Specify the branch size range Typically between 2.5 - 10 cm diameter Russell Tree Experts — Pruning Guide. (n.d.). Russell Tree Experts. Retrieved November 18, 2025 Slide 10 Pruning to Restore Removal of branches and stubs from trees that have been topped, damaged, poorly pruned, vandalized or broken by a storm. Goals Improve health Improve structure Improve appearance In a pruning plan Removal of all pruning stubs Remove damaged branches Remove ⅓ of sprouts, reduce ⅓ of sprouts, Keep ⅓ of sprouts Olsen, J. L., & Bell, N. (n.d.). Training and pruning your home orchard | OSU Extension Service. OSU Extension Service. Retrieved November 18, 2025 Slide 11 Pollarding Way of pruning trees by using heaving heading cuts and then removing the water sprouts every year Used to be used as a way to harvest the branches A-Plus Tree care & Sustainability. (n.d.). Pruning Treatment Definitions. A-Plus Tree care & Sustainability. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025 When to Pollard Trees: The Essential Guide. (n.d.). My Trusted Expert. Retrieved November 19, 2025 Slide 12 Fruit Tree Pruning Modified Central Leader https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqbGjMFOiLk Open Center Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqRWfZWPMk Slide 13 Other forms of Pruning Espalier - Trees pruned to be flat along a structure Coppicing - Removing all above ground parts Topiary - careful pruning to develop defined shapes Bonsai - Maintain a shape and size of a tree Pleaching- form of weaving branches in order to create a wall Edwards, G. (2020, Dec 10). Pruning an Established Apple Espalier. Edwards Garden Services. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025 Econation. (n.d.). Coppicing Wood. Econation. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025 Findlay, L. (2021, November 7). Topiary Shapes. Blooming Lucky. Retrieved November 19, 2025 Kandra, J. (2024, August 26). Bonsai for Beginners from the Missouri Botanical Garden. Discover + Share. Retrieved November 19, 2025 Robertson, I. (2007, March 03). Pleached Fencing. Geograph. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025 Slide 14 Pruning Impact on Wind Load Wind can cause many problems for trees that are already experiencing defects. Pruning is a way we can reduce that force of wind on a tree known as wind sail. How can we mitigate this risk? Slide 15 Pruning impact on Tree Structure Strong tree structure One dominant trunk and leader Strong branch unions Balanced canopy Proper air flow Good root stability and anchoring. True to natural form Branch Aspect Ratio Branch Spacing Trunk and Branch taper Branch Orientation University of Florida. (2020, Jan 24). Save Strong and Healthy Trees for Preservation. University of Florida. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025 Slide 16 Pruning Dose and Pruning Cycle Pruning Dose - How much living wood to remove at one time. As a general statement Nursery size trees - up to 50% live wood Small, medium size - no more than 25-33% Mature trees - No more than 20% Pruning Cycle - How often to prune a tree In Alberta a good schedule would be once every 9- 12 months of growing season. That really means about once a year. Less often as the tree matures, assuming its had regular structural pruning done each previous year. Slide 17 When to Prune Dormant season is typically the best time to prune most species Avoid pruning during times such as During leaf out During leaf fall When sap is flowing - Maples, Birch During flowering During times of heavy fruit production When laws forbid it - Elms (April 1 - Sept 30) (deHaas, 2023) Slide 18 Co-Dominant Stem management Best time to deal with co-dominance is when the tree is young and small. Look for: Narrow “V” Shape union Included bark Cracks What can we do? Prune when young Subordinate over a few years Cable and brace removal (Rain City Tree Works, n.d.) Slide 19 Pruning Plan Specifications The specifications submitted with your pruning plan Include Name and Company Species names, amounts, and locations Pruning objectives Pruning procedures Statement of what pruning regulations you are following Ansi A300, ANSI Z133, OHS Part 39 Worker qualifications Pictures Pruning Plan Specifications Slide 20 Bibliography A-Plus Tree care & Sustainability. (n.d.). Pruning Treatment Definitions. A-Plus Tree care & Sustainability. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025, from https://aplustree.com/pruning-definitions/ An Artistic Arborist. (n.d.). Details About Pruning. An Artistic Arborist. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025, from https://artisticarborist.weebly.com/pruning-details.html Briones, G. (2025, June 17). How to Prune Conifers: 14 Steps (with Pictures). wikiHow. Retrieved November 19, 2025, from https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-Conifers deHaas, T. (2023, July 28). Why do Trees Bleed? | BYGL. BYGL (osu.edu). Retrieved November 21, 2025, from https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2205 Econation. (n.d.). Coppicing Wood. Econation. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025, from https://econation.one/blog/coppicing-wood/ Edwards, G. (2020, Dec 10). Pruning an Established Apple Espalier. Edwards Garden Services. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025, from https://www.edwardsgardenservices.co.uk/pruning-an-apple-espalier/ Findlay, L. (2021, November 7). Topiary Shapes. Blooming Lucky. Retrieved November 19, 2025, from https://bloominglucky.com/topiary-shapes-the-best-ones-to-try/ Fruit Pruning Channel. (2024, Feb 03). Modified Central Leader in Fruit Trees. Youtube. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqbGjMFOiLk Johnsons Nursery. (2024, Mar 8). Thinning cuts method of pruning. Johnsons Nursery. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025, from https://kb.jniplants.com/thinning-cuts-pruning Kandra, J. (2024, August 26). Bonsai for Beginners from the Missouri Botanical Garden. Discover + Share. Retrieved November 19, 2025, from https://discoverandshare.org/2024/08/26/beginner-bonsai-guide/ M&M Tree Service. (n.d.). Tree Pruning & Trimming. M&M Tree Service. Retrieved Nov 18, 2025, from https://mmtrees.myshopify.com/pages/tree-pruning-trimming?srsltid=AfmBOoqUZFx7Q8LpvaNV83f9jBs143AI8GiihDPEQ1cU0fBbYU0wTugX Olsen, J. L., & Bell, N. (n.d.). Training and pruning your home orchard | OSU Extension Service. OSU Extension Service. Retrieved November 18, 2025, from https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pnw-400-training-pruning-your-home-orchard Rain City Tree Works. (n.d.). Codominant Tops in Conifers: What Homeowners in the Snoqualmie Valley Should Know. Rain City Tree Works. Retrieved Nov 21, 2025, from https://www.raincitytreeworks.com/post/codominant-tops-in-trees-what-homeowners-in-the-snoqualmie-valley-should-know Robertson, I. (2007, March 03). Pleached Fencing. Geograph. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025, from https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/352057 Russell Tree Experts — Pruning Guide. (n.d.). Russell Tree Experts. Retrieved November 18, 2025, from https://www.russelltreeexperts.com/pruningguide Tibbets, P., & Huang, S. (2023, September 18). Developing and Maintaining a Pollard. A Plus Tree. Retrieved November 19, 2025, from https://aplustree.com/developing-and-maintaining-a-pollard/ UC Santa Cruz Center for Agrocology. (2022, Jan 08). How to use spreaders to train a pear tree to an open center form. Youtube. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqRWfZWPMk University of Florida. (2020, Jan 24). Save Strong and Healthy Trees for Preservation. University of Florida. Retrieved Nov 19, 2025, from https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/protect-strong.shtml When to Pollard Trees: The Essential Guide. (n.d.). My Trusted Expert. Retrieved November 19, 2025, from https://mytrustedexpert.com/blog/when-to-pollard-trees-the-essential-guide/