Project Ideas

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cut back the main stem of an especially spindly bare-

root plant to encourage branching.

Mature Trees

Mature trees that have been pruned since planting

require little besides maintenance care: removal of

dead or damaged wood or the occasional general thin-

ning to allow more air into the crown. Always cut large

limbs back to a live branch or the main trunk. Most

branches have an obvious, sometimes wrinkled, swell-

ing at their base. This is the bark-collar, an area where

cell growth is especially abundant and wound closure

is rapid. Make your ﬁ nal cut just outside this collar.

SHADE TREES

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Use the tree-cut method when sawing off a large branch. First make

an undercut at least 6 inches from the bark collar. Then, about an inch

beyond that, remove the limb with a top cut. Finally, remove the

remaining stub with one smooth cut from top to bottom just

outside the bark collar. With a very big limb, ﬁ rst reduce its length by

removing it in sections.

If possible, remove branches that form a deep V-shaped crotch. Such

crotches are vulnerable to wind damage and can cause rot. Wide

crotch angles are stronger.