If you've recently acquired a home surrounded by a wooded park or orchard, maintaining your mature trees will soon become a priority. These "new" trees might be older than your house—sometimes over a century—and a reliable pruning saw is key to their care.
Resist the urge to grab a chainsaw right away. With proper maintenance, even seemingly sickly trees can rebound like a phoenix from the ashes. Thoughtful pruning often proves more effective than drastic measures, giving your trees a fresh start.
If your trees cast too much shade, you might be tempted to remove large branches or pollard them entirely. Take time to assess the tree's health first.
For trees with infectious issues like bacteria or fungus, aggressive cuts—even made with a clean, sharp pruning saw and sealed with fungicide—can worsen problems. Open wounds may fail to heal, leading to progressive rot year after year.
Reserve the chainsaw for dead trees or those risking spread of disease to others. Otherwise, opt for maintenance pruning to adapt the tree to its surroundings.
Trees should never pose a hazard. Use a pruning saw to remove deadwood, unstable branches, diseased growth, or poorly positioned limbs. Make cuts that promote safe development without encroaching on neighbors, people, or plants.
Target branches under 5 cm in diameter to minimize infection risk and ensure clean healing. Position your sharp pruning saw perpendicular to the branch, cutting as close as possible to the parent branch. Leaving stubs invites disease.
A well-sharpened, disinfected saw is crucial for clean cuts—sterilize between trees. Treat fresh cuts immediately with fungicide or antiseptic from your garden center. Never remove more than a third of the canopy, or the tree will produce excessive suckers, depleting its energy and weakening it.
With patience and a quality pruning saw, you can sustain healthy trees—as long as storms or lightning haven't doomed them.
