Pruning Trees
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Pruning of trees may be required for many reasons including maximising yield on a fruit tree, allowing light into the garden or remedial pruning to help repair damage or cut out dead wood. The pruning of each tree is different due to size shape and location however general principles should be applied and safety consideration are paramount.It is important that the reason for the pruning is considered and an assessment of the tree to be pruned is made prior to the first cut. In other words think carefully why the tree needs to be pruned and what is to be achieved so that you know which branches need cutting and for what purpose. If you are cutting to allow light into the garden you may need to only remove a couple of branches from one side but how would that affect the overall shape of the tree? Would it be better to cut cloud holes to gain a more natural look? Thinning out branches on fruit trees stimulates growth but random cutting is not as good as trying to shape the tree like spokes of a wheel so that the light can filter down from above. To do this may require training the branches with pieces of line but would it be more pleasing to the eye to have a more causal arrangement of branches? When cutting out damage is this a good opportunity to reshape the tree to bring back a more balanced look?
When engaging a tree surgeon to perform the work on larger trees for you it may be sensible to take pictures of the tree to be pruned (Without leaves in winter) and mark on the pictures each branch that needs to be cut ant the location of the cut. This can be done by the surgeon or yourself so that you have complete agreement of the work to be performed before the first cut is made. Remember trees in the garden are the largest plants and therefore have the most dramatic effect on the look and feel of a garden a few cuts too many or in the wrong place can damage the look and injure the tree.
Tree branches are heavy, can split and fall at strange angles causing damage to people and thing below so care must be taken to ensure that if branches are allowed to fall they will not damage items underneath. Working up inside trees needs special care since it is impossible to move quickly out of the way of splitting branches. Using power tools safely is a separate subject. Suffice to say that when using tools of any type whilst climbing in trees one must ensure that you are adequately harnessed to guard against falls because it is all too easy to loose your footing when your hands are occupied with equipment and you are concentrating on the task in hand.