A Safe Way to Prune a Branch Without Damaging the Tree
When you need to cut off a dead tree branch, you might think you can just prune it before it falls, but it takes a little more finesse to properly care for the trees.In this video from This Old House, we learn how to prune a branch without damaging the tree.
If you try to cut a branch right through the top of the branch, which seems logical, the weight of the branch can cause the branch to break without a clean cut. This can rupture the bark and make it difficult for the tree to heal. As Roger Cook demonstrates in the video, it is best to start about a foot from where the branch meets the tree, with a cut that extends about 1/3 of the branch. Then, going a few inches further, you cut through the top of the branch until it breaks off. Now that most of the weight has been carried away, you can carefully cut at the base of the branch without unexpected breakage. Watch the video to see a complete description of the tree species.
How to manually prune trees »wiki helpful This old house via YouTube