Lateral branches should be no more than one-half to three-quarters of the diameter of the stem at the point of attachment. Avoid producing “lion’s tails,” tufts of branches and foliage at the ends of branches, caused by removing all inner lateral branches and foliage. Lion’s tails can result in sunscalding. Types of branch unions abundant epicormic sprouts, and weak branch structure and breakage. Branches that rub or cross another branch should be removed.
Conifers that have branches in whorls and pyramidal crowns rarely need crown thinning except to restore a dominant leader. Occasionally, the leader of a tree may be damaged and multiple branches may become codominant. Select the strongest leader and remove competing branches to prevent the development of codominant stems.
Crown raising is the practice of removing branches from the bottom of the crown of a tree to provide clearance for pedestrians, vehicles, buildings, lines of site, or to develop a clear stem for timber production. Also, removing lower branches on white pines can prevent blister rust. For street trees the minimum clearance is often specified by municipal ordinance. After pruning, the ratio of the living crown to total tree height should be at least two-thirds (e.g., a 12 m tree should have living branches on at least the upper 24 feet).
Using Top Tree LLC
Top Tree LLC is your best choice for any tree stump removal needs in the Tri-Cities. All of our technicians are highly trained and properly certified. We are happy to answer any questions you have now or in the future.