This tree has large branches going all over and I want to give it the best chance to flourish without taking too much off at once. The branch going towards the house was going to be the first I lopped off.
Any advice is appreciated
by PackOfStallions
3 Comments
Sit down and watch the tree be, call a professional.
You’re a new home owner have you seen it through at least one season?
Cutting any of those large lower limbs will do significant damage to the tree.
You can make the cut look nice, but it will still be a huge cut that will introduce decay and make the tree more likely to die or fall in the future.
Rule of thumb, be very careful cutting anything thicker than your wrist. Over that thickness i would recommend not cutting it unless you have a very good reason.
Cutting big limbs for no real reason only does harm to the tree, both biologically and visually. Super long trunk with a tiny crown is ugly, and much more sensitive to wind.
This’ll sound like a ‘stock reply’ but…
You don’t need to automatically worry about branches growing toward your house. The best thing you can do is spend the approx. $100 to have a *qualified* arborist come out to do a basic assessment report and then go from there.
You can find an index of registered arborists in this sub.