Common Pruning Mistakes to Avoid Using dull tools will not produce the clean cut needed to maintain a healthy tree. It is necessary to sharpen saws, loppers and hand scissors regularly, and always use scissors with bypass blades. The use of anvil blade clippers instead of a pruner with bypass knives is a crucial mistake. Damage caused by tree bark is serious and can be fatal to your tree.
Damage to the bark from pruning branches can be avoided by not pulling or dropping branches through the crown of a tree, and using the appropriate three-step pruning method for branches. A proper pruning cut minimizes damage to the tree and allows it to heal quickly. An incorrect cut, such as a flush cut (cut too close to the trunk) or a heel cut (cut too far from the trunk) can cause irreversible damage to the tree. A flush cut removes the neck of the branch and leaves a large wound on the side of the tree that does not heal properly.
A stem cut leaves too much of a dead branch on the tree that will decompose backwards through the center of the root neck and into the tree trunk. Both harmful cuts cause tooth decay, which could result in death. Simple cutting of branches of trees and shrubs will not necessarily give the desired effect. Doing it the wrong way can lead to unsightly cuts that show for a long time, a large production of water buds that produce an unbalanced appearance, oversized scars, etc.
When removing branches, always make the final cut at the top of the neck of a branch (the swollen area where the branch is encounters with the main stem) or in a knot (where leaves or lateral branches are generated from the branch being cut). Conifers take a long time to regenerate new growth when they are cut beyond the growth tips. If possible, sharp clippings should be avoided, but when necessary, these cuts should be made where the cut is carefully hidden within the surrounding foliage. Large and heavy branches should be cut slightly before removing them to prevent the bark from breaking when the wood breaks mid-cut.
Do not prune: lack of pruning tops the list of common pruning errors. This may be due to laziness or fear of ending up with a failed pruning. May cause overgrown shrubs or trees that are too tall. Instead, depending on the species of a tree, an experienced pruner will select a solid side branch along the trunk and make a proper pruning cut just above it.
Don't let a neighbor or friend prune for you unless they know as much or more than you know about how to do it. When you prune a plant, you cut off foliage, branches or trunks to make the plant more attractive and structurally stronger. For example, rhododendrons and conifers are best pruned in late summer before they cover the buds for next year. With trees it is difficult to know what proper pruning should look like, although another problem is to cut randomly or the wrong branches.
Aesthetic arbolists and pruners are trained to understand the growth patterns and physical structure of trees and shrubs. When large branches are cut and dropped (which is what most DIY clippers usually do), the bark tears up the side of the tree, damaging it and leaving it vulnerable to pests and diseases. If they are pruned too late in summer or before the flowering season in spring, they will likely not flower well or not fully bloom. Lion's tail is not a substitute for cleaning or reducing tree crowns, and is never performed by qualified tree pruners.
Inexperienced tree pruners often cut the crown of the tree in an attempt to reduce the height of the tree. If you consider these benefits and avoid these six common mistakes, you'll be well on your way to becoming a real pruner. To help pruning cuts heal quickly, you need to prune at the right time and in the right way. If you prune your trees without understanding the principles of pruning and tree growth, you run the risk of creating a repetitive pattern of damage to your trees that can cause them to decline.
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