Techniques for Cutting Down a Tree Branch

General Techniques and Tools

• Branches have a collar around the juncture to the tree. When cutting down a branch, arborists advise against making cuts flush with the trunk because it is important to leave the collar intact to promote healing. Similarly, proper branch removal technique does not leave a remnant to rot, which can also prevent prompt recovery. Executing proper technique requires proper tools. Using bypass rather than anvil-type pruners ensures that there is a clean cut rather than a crushed stub when you remove a tree branch. Pruning saws typically incorporate an angled blade with teeth that cut on the pull stroke, unlike other saws.

Thin or Thick

• For thinner branches, up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, using pruners, loppers or a pruning saw to remove the branch with a single cut works well. For thicker branches, arborists recommend using three cuts with a pruning saw to avoid the weight of the branch tearing the bark, breaching the collar. Making your first cut from the underside of the branch a few inches from the trunk, and sawing only halfway through the branch, relieves the weight of the limb when you make your other cuts. Next, sawing all the way through the branch a few inches beyond the first cut removes the bulk of the limb. The third cut, at the branch collar, removes the remainder to avoid leaving a stub. Very thick branches, especially those larger than 4 inches in diameter, require a chainsaw. Unless you have expertise using a chainsaw, large branches may be best left to professionals.

High or Low

• Tree branches you can cut off with loppers or a pruning saw while standing on the ground are typically easy to remove. Those higher up require different tools and techniques. Pole pruners and saws may do the trick, but these tools, which have pruners or saws on an extendable pole, have limits. Any limb more than 20 feet off the ground is likely to require ladders, scaffolding or equipment to bring you within reach of the branch. Similarly, the higher the branch, the more likely there are other branches below that need protecting from possible damage if the cut branch comes crashing down. Roping or cabling the branch before cutting requires planning how to remove it through the remaining growth. Knowing when to call in a professional may save your limbs as well as the tree's.

Considerations

• Danger dictates immediate action. But if you have a choice, timing branch removal for when the tree is dormant is easier on you as well as the tree. Deciduous trees will have shed their leaves giving you better visibility, and you'll have cooler weather for what may be strenuous work cutting down a branch. From the tree's perspective, both evergreen and deciduous trees are more likely to heal during the next growing season if you prune when they're dormant. If you're pruning diseased limbs, always sanitize your tools before moving to the next cut to minimize spreading disease.