Screw It! by Aubrey Smith

Author:Aubrey Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Perseus Books, LLC
Published: 2018-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

Pruning a Tree

If you have well-established trees in your garden, you will have to remove branches on occasion: a limb might be dead or showing signs of disease; two branches might have grown to cross paths, rubbing against each other and leaving the tree vulnerable to diseases and pests; the tree might just be getting too big for its boots and depriving the garden of light or encroaching on boundary fences.

Whatever the reason, you should think very carefully about what you can tackle on your own. Work involving very thick branches and any work high up in the tree is best left to a professional tree surgeon as it’s hard to think of many things more hazardous than using a chainsaw 40 feet from the ground with no training. In fact, I wouldn’t advocate using a chainsaw at all if you haven’t been taught. My advice is to attempt only lower-level work using a bow saw. And think twice about using stepladders as they’re not suitable for use on soft ground. A better bet is a single ladder, which you can lean against the trunk of the tree and secure with a rope. Before you cut, think about where the branch will land and be aware that it could bounce. If the branch is very long you might consider cutting it into shorter sections. It goes without saying that children and pets should be kept out of harm’s way.

Tools and materials

a bow saw (with a blade suitable for green wood)

safety glasses

protective gloves

Before you begin, it’s important to make the right cuts to a branch to avoid damaging the tree. If you cut straight through the branch from above it may tear the bark as it falls, leaving the tree exposed to disease.

1. Make your first cut to the underside of the limb, approximately 6 inches from the collar, where the branch meets the trunk. This cut need only go about a third of the way through.

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