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Mar 10, Proper Way to Prune a Tree Limb When thinning, reducing and shaping branches and limbs small enough to cut with hand tools, keep in mind that your cuts are going to encourage new growth.

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Cut limbs ¼ inch above a bud that faces the outside of Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins. Next, cut off the branch 6 – 12 inches from this wedge, leaving a stub end. Finally, cut parallel to and just on the branch side of the stem collar as close to the tree’s trunk as possible.

Use the right tool: Loppers are ideal for trees. Pruning cuts Heading vs.

thinning cuts. A tree’s response to a pruning cut depends on where on the branch the cut is made. Both types Angle and placement of cuts. Always make cuts close to a node. Branches grow only at these nodes, and if you leave too Pruning thick, heavy branches. Undercut Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins.