We love our trees in Southwest Kansas! Trees are an important part of landscaping and also add value to our homes. A healthy tree, that is properly shaped can help increase its longevity. Pruning out weak and dead branches can help the tree withstand strong winds and decrease the chances for insect damage and disease. In this blog post, we will be covering the basics on properly pruning trees that are do-it-yourself tasks. If you have large, older trees, it is recommended to hire a professional arborist for safety.
First off, let’s take some time to review the science within the tree. The main parts of tree are the roots, stem, branches and leaves. When looking at the stems and larger branches, the cross section includes the outer layer of bark, phloem, cambium, sapwood, heartwood, and the pith.
The important layers for pruning include the phloem and cambium. The phloem transports nutrients up the tree from the roots to the leaves. The cambium is responsible for healing deep wounds. Cambium cells should never be allowed to dry out. They are killed easily by tar, turpentine and creosote.
The most common error I see is improper location and angle of the prune cut. Just remember – Location, location, location! Cutting to close to the trunk could kill off parts of the tree because of excessive damage to the cambium. Cutting too far out, the callus (part of the cambium) will not be able to grow around the wound to heal it.
Continue reading “Deciduous Trees: Basic Maintenance Pruning” →
