Learning to properly prune most any yard tree - maple, oak, dogwood, crepe myrtle - is not that difficult. But you are required to ignore a lot of what you’ve seen or heard about what good pruning is.
Here are some good pruning rules:
Rule 1: Prune from the bottom up, not top down. “Topping” any tree ruins its natural shape.
Rule 2: Remove dead, dying, or severely wounded branches (more than ½ the bark missing)
Rule 3: If you find two branches that are growing parallel to one another and almost touching, choose one and remove it.
Rule 4: Look for branches that cross one another, especially if they rub together, and remove one.
Rule 5: Clean your pruning tools before putting them away. Now you’ve done all you could or should do.
Here is a list of pruning tools that every gardener should have:
Hand Pruners |
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Hand Lopers |
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Hand Shears |
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Hand Pruning Saw |
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