pruning can eliminate this problem. The nonprofit Urban Tree Foundation (UTF) is an excellent source for tips on structural pruning that a homeowner can manage. A Checklist for Structural Pruning You Can Do in Your Own Yard: 1. Develop and maintain a central leader. 2. Identify the lowest branch in what will become the permanent crown. 3. Prevent branches below the permanent crown from growing larger than half the trunk diameter. 4. Space main branches along the central leader. 5. Reduce vigorous upright stems back to lateral branches. xvi Pruning a tree’s lowest branches will be guided by where the tree is in the landscape. For example, a roadside tree will need to be pruned so that a driver’s view in traffic will not be blocked. Using this principle, you may want to prune a tree so that visibility is good when you back out of your driveway. Or lower branches might be trimmed to accommodate a sidewalk or foot traffic in your garden or yard. You may want space to bring your lawn mower under the tree – but not close to the trunk. Remember: Lawn mowers and weed eaters can damage a young tree’s tender trunk. Vertical spacing between branches should be about 12 inches for fruit-bearing trees or 18 inches for medium or large deciduous trees. Pruning can be almost addictive once you get started. But slow down! Stop, stand back, and take a good look. Never prune more than 25 percent of the tree’s leaf-bearing branches at any one time. Young trees need time to recover from even the most subtle changes. Pruning a young tree can help it grow to be a healthy and attractive addition to your landscape, or poor pruning can stunt the tree’s growth or cause it to fail in the years ahead. If in doubt, always consult a professional before reaching for shears or a pruning saw. For more detail on pruning, see the USDA Forest Service brochure on pruning.
At left, this young tree benefited from the pruning in its first year. A co-dominant stem was removed so the tree will continue to thrive after being transplanted from a nursery to a home lot in Silver Spring. This is known as “structural pruning.” At right, this stand of young pin oaks has been well-pruned, with central leader branches and lower branches trimmed. However, the trees would benefit from mulching to keep the soil moist.
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