Spring Pruning Advice - What to Prune & What Not to Prune

Dan Hager from Hartney Greymont, a Davey company, in Concord, shares his top spring pruning tips as well as different pruning tools and common pruning mistakes homeowners make. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Pruning consultation and goals for plants (1:17)
• Not everything needs to be pruned (1:50)
• What a homeowner can prune vs what a professional should prune (3:00)
• Different pruning tools (3:56)
• The right saw to use for pruning (4:50)
• Biggest pruning mistakes homeowners make (6:30)
• What should not be pruned in the late winter/early spring (8:18)
• What's the best way for someone to learn how to prune? (11:10)
• Educating master gardeners about pruning apple trees (12:54)
• Importance of keeping tools clean (14:42)
• Other spring landscape pruning (16:30)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more spring pruning tips, read our blogs, Trimming Trees in Spring: Is It Okay to Trim Trees in Spring? and Fruit Tree Care in Early Spring.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Transcript

[music]

Doug Oster: Welcome to the Davey Tree Expert Company's podcast, Talking Trees. I'm your host, Doug Oster. Each week, our expert arborists share advice on seasonal tree care, how to make your trees thrive, arborists' favorite trees, and much, much more. Tune in every Thursday to learn more because here at the Talking Trees podcast, we know trees are the answer. Well, I'm joined again by Dan Hagar. He is a district manager for the Concord, Massachusetts Hartney Graymont, which is a Davey company. Today, we're talking all about pruning. Dan, I'm excited for this topic. You're on your way to a pruning demonstration right after we're done, right?

Dan Hagar: That's right. We're going to be talking about specifically apple pruning and how to prepare the apples for the growing season and get, basically, good sunlight to the potential fruit coming in, so we have nice fruit.

Doug: I think people are very lucky to have an expert where they can actually watch them do the pruning. We have some of those going on in my area, Pittsburgh, too. Let's just go back to pruning in general, then we'll get to the apples. Let's say that a homeowner asks you or says, hey, I got to get this plant pruned. What is your first question to them?

Dan: Really, what we want to know is, what are the goals of the pruning? Why are you pruning? We shouldn't be pruning anything without having a specific goal in mind. Really, we want to know what the goals are, whether it's building clearance or health of the plant. What are the main concerns? That's going to help us determine when we want to prune the plant.

Doug: I think people just assume, and I get this question all the time, that something has to be pruned. Not everything needs to be pruned, right?

Dan: No, definitely not. We look at the plant overall. We look at the architecture of the plant. We look at how it's been pruned in the past, whether we want to do a radical rejuvenation pruning. Has it been super overgrown? Is it the type of plant that can be radically pruned to rejuvenate it and start afresh? Or is it something that needs a little lighter touch and just needs a couple of nips just to train it in a direction we want it to prune?

Doug: What if Chuck in the Truck has come and topped all my maples?

Dan: We really need to take a really close look at those trees, whether there's any decay set in, how long ago was that done, how much was taken off. We can take a look at the diameter of the cuts. Hopefully, not too much of that maple's been reduced radically. That's not a tree we want to basically be cutting in half. We want to be much more careful with those kind of trees.

Doug: What can the homeowner prune, and what should a professional prune?

Dan: Depends on the homeowner's skill level and comfort level for sure. For someone who is comfortable using hand snips in pruning, I would say maintenance pruning when you're pruning off long ends and building clearance is fine. On a ladder, you're maybe taking a little bigger risk. Ladders, in our industry, is one of the most hazardous pieces of equipment we use. There's definitely risk of safety needs to be considered and how much of pruning we're looking to do.

Doug: I'm just going to say it right now. Homeowners, don't go on a ladder. That's when you get a pro because you've got something sharp in your hands. As Dan said, [chuckles] that's just not the way to go. Let's talk about specifically some of the tools that you use and the importance of using the right tool and also how important it is that these tools are sharp.

Dan: Yes. I guess number one thing is sharp tools. You need to make a nice clean cut through the cambium. Once we start crushing branches, the cells that actually start doing the repair or closing of wounds hinders that ability for the plant to repair itself. Sharp tool is number one. Number two, you want to use bypass pruners versus an anvil pruner, so the blade doesn't hit something to make the cut. It actually slides past. Sharp saws, very sharp saws. You want to make sure you have a nice sharp blade.

Doug: Talk about the right type of saw to use because some homeowners, and I've seen it, and you've seen it too, I'm sure, driving by, have a big saw that you would use for lumber but there's a specific saw that is used for tree pruning.

Dan: Yes. The saws we have do the cutting on the pull action versus the push action, so it helps clear the debris as it's being pulled through. It's a fairly fine tooth saw so that we don't damage. We don't want to damage the part of the tree that's going to do the healing. Having those sharp tools and also knowing where to make the cut on the tree is important.

Doug: In my case, I've got a small hand pruning saw. For that type of blade, should I just get it replaced or is there a way I can get someone to sharpen it?

Dan: Probably best just to get it replaced. There's probably going to be, even stainless steel, I get some oxidation on it so that that'll affect its ability to cut. We probably replace our saws every six months or so. We're using them fairly often.

Doug: For the case of the bypass pruner or bypass loppers, can a homeowner sharpen those themselves?

Dan: Certainly. Those can definitely be sharpened. They sell little tool kits, little files designed specifically to sharpen that kind of stuff. Those definitely can be sharpened.

Doug: What are some of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make when they prune?

Dan: There's just two things that come to mind. One is making a pruning cut so that you- we call it a flush cut, which cuts off the attachment where the cells that heal over the wounds are. Those are gone. The wound doesn't heal properly and that leaves the plant open for fungal infection or is a spot where insects can get in. The second biggest mistake is probably not pruning enough, [chuckles] believe it or not. Just doing the tip pruning, which is what we would call a hand shearing.

If we're talking about styles of pruning, there's natural pruning, which we go in and hand snip back to branch unions. Then there's the type of pruning because shearing, you use your shears and just cut off the tips. Some plants can handle shearing. Some plants, you shouldn't be shearing. I guess that's three things. Knowing what plants you have to shear, which ones you don't shear, where to make the pruning cut itself, and how much to prune off the plant.

Doug: I'm throwing one more in there, cutting way too much off because I've seen that happen too. It's natural for someone to go in and not look at what they're doing and just start hacking away. Then when you step back, oh, what a disaster.

Dan: Certainly. Depending on the type of plant, that's definitely a recipe for disaster. Some plants can recover from that. It all depends on the species we're working with.

Doug: Let's talk about some things that should not be pruned this time of the year, things with buds on them.

Dan: Sure. We're talking early spring, late winter, rhododendrons, azaleas. Those types of plants are going to be cutting all the flowers off. They've set their flowers. I'm going to say, acanthus, so they have to get their flower buds ready to go, lesser-known shrub.

Doug: Dogwood?

Dan: Dogwoods. For sure, any of the dogwoods, you want to be careful with pruning now. Those, if you prune them too hard, could actually signal a sucker response, which is the tree responding to stress and causing a really dense inner growth, which long-term, health implications make disease and insects really happy.

Doug: When it comes to things like oaks and elms, when do we stop pruning those? I know that's important just from other information I've got from arborists while I'm doing this podcast.

Dan: The problem with oaks and elms are various diseases that are active during the growing season. Fresh pruning cuts actually attract insects, which carry those diseases. I would say at the latest, just to put a number on it but it all depends on the season, February is probably the latest you want to be pruning those trees.

Doug: That ship has sailed. Tell me just a little bit of information about making the right cut. We're a homeowner. We've got our feet on the ground. We've got a branch we know has to go. We don't want to cut right next to the tree right away. There's a way that a professional does it with more than one cut, right?

Dan: Yes. We do something called the three-cut method. We make a bottom cut, a top cut, which we can then snap the branch off, and then we can finish the cut. Knowing where to make those cuts on the branch is important because we don't want to cut off what's called the branch collar. Branch collar is where the branch attaches to the stem, and that's where those important cells are that will be able to heal those wounds over.

Doug: Is pruning science, art, or is it both?

Dan: Absolutely both. The science of a proper pruning cut, where to make it, that's all been studied. The aesthetics is an art that takes-- It's probably years for someone to really have an idea of what's going to happen once they make those cuts. A lot of practice gets involved.

Doug: What's the best way for someone to learn how to prune? Is it like what you're going to do next, watch an expert do it?

Dan: Yes. What we're going to do next is I'm going to actually be working with a group of master gardeners. They're going to have some level of experience. This is going to be a hands-on pruning class. We're going to be different groups cutting, and everyone's going to have a chance to make some snips and cutting. I would say, yes, a good way to start is attend a pruning class. There's certainly a lot in our area. Then if you've got a tree or a shrub another way where it's not super visible, go practice.

[laughter]

Doug: I think that learning through diagrams is very difficult. All these years that I've been gardening, for me, it was watching someone do it, watching an expert from Davey come to my house. What I love about the arborist is they're glad to have you watch and explain. For me, that just opened up everything. Oh, I get it now where I didn't get it when I was just looking at different diagrams.

Dan: Absolutely. That's one of the things I like about my job is doing a consultation with someone I've worked with before and giving them a 15-minute tutorial on putting snips in their hands, saying, okay, this is where we're going to make the cut. This is why we're making the cut. Just starting them off on a pruning journey. Love teaching people that kind of stuff.

Doug: Speaking of that, tell me about the fun you have with what's coming up next. You've got a whole bunch of master gardeners there, and you're going to be able to show them specifically on apples. What is it about apple trees that you're going to teach them that's important when it comes to pruning?

Dan: With the apple trees, what we're looking at doing is setting the tree up for when it has fruit on it so that those fruit can what someone once described to me as harvest sunlight. The fruit wants sunlight. We're going to shape the trees in a way that the goals of the pruning will be, one, to control the height of the tree so we can get the fruit near the top but taper it down so that the lower branches are going to be longer and stronger, and that the upper branches won't shade out the lower branches. We also got to consider, where are the fruit buds on the trees in terms of second-year growth, first-year growth? Are we going to be stripping all the future fruit buds off if we prune too much? We're going to have a real hands-on fun day this afternoon.

Doug: All right, I'm putting you on the spot. What's your favorite apple?

Dan: Marshall Macs.

Doug: Tell me about it.

Dan: There's a farm. It's not called Marshall Farm anymore but it used to be called Marshall Farm. They crossed McIntosh with their own variety and made up a Marshall Mac. It's got a real nice texture and taste to it.

Doug: Do I have to drive to Massachusetts to find this apple?

Dan: You might have to. Come on up. It's a national pastime up here to go apple picking in the fall.

Doug: Oh, that is awesome. Let's also discuss keeping those tools clean when going from one tree to another. Why is that so important?

Dan: Apple trees are susceptible to something specifically called fire blight, which is a bacterial disease that can be transferred through the pruning tools. If we cut into a branch that has a bacteria in it, and then we go to prune another branch, we could leave some of that bacteria behind. Definitely between trees but certainly between cuts, doing a sanitation on the tools, whether it's 10% bleach, alcohol, sometimes we'll use Lysol, basically something to sterilize that blade.

Doug: Is this true for other trees too, other species?

Dan: Fire blight will affect pears as well. If we're not talking about fruit, specifically elm trees, passing Dutch elm disease could also happen. There are certainly caution that needs to be around certain species of trees.

Doug: For most trees, we would want to do that in between some kind of sterilization?

Dan: I don't know that I would say most trees. I would say it's very tree specific. If an apple tree doesn't show any signs or symptoms of fire blight, it's not something we need to worry about. Elm trees, on the other hand, because they're so susceptible to Dutch elm disease, I would probably, anytime you're pruning an elm tree, would recommend doing a sanitation.

Doug: Dan, when you're thinking about pruning in the spring, what else comes to mind in the landscape?

Dan: One of the biggest asks or needs is to do something we call rejuvenation pruning. Certain species, such as hollies and ewes, tend to be sheared over and over again, which leaves a shell of greenery on the outside, which leads to an internal microhabitat of insects and diseases which long-term will really destroy those plants. What we can do this time of year is, on those specific species, do some really radical pruning. We really open them up. They'll actually sprout new growth from the stems and let more sunlight and airflow into the inside of the plant, which is a natural way to reduce the amount of insects within those plants. We do it this time of year because they can set out the flesh off the stems of growth.

Doug: All right, Dan, I'm going to leave it right there. Thank you for teaching us how to prune our shrubs and trees, and have some fun with those master gardeners teaching them how to prune apples. I think they're very lucky to have somebody like you to teach them how to do this. Thanks again, Dan.

Dan: Thanks for having me, Doug. Until next time.

Doug: I always enjoy talking with Dan. You can see why his clients love working with him. Now, tune in every Thursday to the Talking Trees podcast. From the Davey Tree Expert Company, I'm your host, Doug Oster, and I need you to do me a favor. You heard me say it week after week. Subscribe to the podcast so you'll never miss a show. What do you want to hear on this podcast? There's two ways for you to tell us. You can send an email to podcasts@davey.com. That's P-O-D-C-A-S-T-S @ D-A-V-E-Y.com, or you can also click the link at the end of our show notes to text us a fan mail message. Your ideas, I'm telling you, could be on a future podcast, and we would love to hear from you. As always, we'd like to remind you on the Talking Trees podcast, trees are the answer.

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