Pruning cut method
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Toddy/THOaken,
The reason hedge trimmers want to not do surgical cuts is that A) on a hedge it would take forever, B)you want to produce epicormic (growing from the main stem) growth and side shoots so making the plant bushy and shrubby and C) most shrub species are by nature pretty vital and not susceptible to fungal infection.
Certain species of tree like the cherries are very susceptible to fungal attack and so as small and clean a cut is favoured, the tree will then heal over by compartmentalisation.
Yes the stop cuts stop the bark/wood ripping down the tree through the mass of the branch and also allow the delimbing cut to open through the same action so making the progress of the saw easier.
Hope that was OK and clear for you? Branches can have a certain amount of kick in them when the weight of the limb comes off both through gravity and leverage, so on bigger stuff be careful. (You are using a hand saw and not a chainsaw yes? Also be careful when doing the stop cuts as the if you go too deep the branch can pinch and trap the saw, not a problem on small branches as you can ease the pressure by lifting the limb, but on big limbs you'll need another saw to free it.
Give a shout if you require further help.
ATB,
GB.
The reason hedge trimmers want to not do surgical cuts is that A) on a hedge it would take forever, B)you want to produce epicormic (growing from the main stem) growth and side shoots so making the plant bushy and shrubby and C) most shrub species are by nature pretty vital and not susceptible to fungal infection.
Certain species of tree like the cherries are very susceptible to fungal attack and so as small and clean a cut is favoured, the tree will then heal over by compartmentalisation.
Yes the stop cuts stop the bark/wood ripping down the tree through the mass of the branch and also allow the delimbing cut to open through the same action so making the progress of the saw easier.
Hope that was OK and clear for you? Branches can have a certain amount of kick in them when the weight of the limb comes off both through gravity and leverage, so on bigger stuff be careful. (You are using a hand saw and not a chainsaw yes? Also be careful when doing the stop cuts as the if you go too deep the branch can pinch and trap the saw, not a problem on small branches as you can ease the pressure by lifting the limb, but on big limbs you'll need another saw to free it.
Give a shout if you require further help.
ATB,
GB.
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Now I was taught slightly differently.
You don't want to cut as close to the trunk as possible because that will remove the actual bark that would grow over wound.
If you look at a branch you'll see there's like a small ridge of bark at the base and you want to cut just slightly in front of that.
This is a better illustration of how to prune a branch
Yeah that's how I was told too, obviously you don't want to cut into the bark
My hedge is beech, birch and holly. I prune by hand 
My cherry trees (geans) I prune using a set of pruners and a laplander. In all the years I've done so I've never had the fungus thing, and we are very wet here. I didn't know that cherries produced resin, but apparantly that's a side effect of the fungus, since mine didn't have that, nor from what I can see do any of the other cherries around, I didn't know of the resin.
T'was interesting
Commercial cutting of hedges, and by that I mean field and roadside hedges is obviously a cost cutting exercise, but if it didn't work, if it actively killed off or overly degraded the hedge, then I doubt the practice would be continued as widely as it is.
I still think being aware of what you are doing, of what you are going to leave behind, as well as the decent removal of the bit of timber you want, is no bad thing.
Lot of good information coming out though
cheers,
M
My cherry trees (geans) I prune using a set of pruners and a laplander. In all the years I've done so I've never had the fungus thing, and we are very wet here. I didn't know that cherries produced resin, but apparantly that's a side effect of the fungus, since mine didn't have that, nor from what I can see do any of the other cherries around, I didn't know of the resin.
T'was interesting
Commercial cutting of hedges, and by that I mean field and roadside hedges is obviously a cost cutting exercise, but if it didn't work, if it actively killed off or overly degraded the hedge, then I doubt the practice would be continued as widely as it is.
I still think being aware of what you are doing, of what you are going to leave behind, as well as the decent removal of the bit of timber you want, is no bad thing.
Lot of good information coming out though
cheers,
M
You obviously have a very clean garden and are pruning correctly Toddy It helps too with geans to take off the overlapping and inward pointing shoots/branches. This avoids branches rubbing together and promotes air flow. All good for a healthy tree. I find pruning roses and trees a very relaxing artform. (Well apart from being up high on a windy day with back anchoring and brittle branches)
Had a few bonsai when I was younger and that was a lovely experience - though not for the tree as essentially to bonsai it to that degree is torture.
(You know, sad old thing that I am I apologised to every tree I ever cut down.)
It helps too with geans to take off the overlapping and inward pointing shoots/branches. This avoids branches rubbing together and promotes air flow. All good for a healthy tree. I find pruning roses and trees a very relaxing artform. (Well apart from being up high on a windy day with back anchoring and brittle branches)Had a few bonsai when I was younger and that was a lovely experience - though not for the tree as essentially to bonsai it to that degree is torture.
(You know, sad old thing that I am I apologised to every tree I ever cut down.)
Me too You have no idea how reassuring it is to hear someone else say that Bonsai is tree torture. Kind of condemned to eternal damnation and starvation for a tree really.
I saw a Scots pine that was over 80 years old and it was no more than 30 inches high, and I thought it like one of those wee teacup dogs. Why do they not just buy a doll instead of doing that to a dog ?
My garden is a seasonal jungle
but see if I croaked it tomorrow, nothing would die because I left it so vulnerable and ungrounded.Over the years we've had numerous attempts at trying to list all the information relevant to each plant beside a clear title, but we never quite seem to suss it all out properly.
I think if we ever have another go, then the appropriate pruning and cutting back, etc., should go in beside it too.
atb,
M
I apologise for the vague image, but it's the best I could get. I don't think I represented cut 3 very well, but I understand it's supposed to be parallel and not near the trunk, but ahead of the collar. Stop cut goes about half way in to the branch, main cut right through and clean final cut is right through to have a flush surface.
Does this seem correct? That's not the tree I will be using, of course.
Does this seem correct? That's not the tree I will be using, of course.
I apologise for the vague image, but it's the best I could get. I don't think I represented cut 3 very well, but I understand it's supposed to be parallel and not near the trunk, but ahead of the collar. Stop cut goes about half way in to the branch, main cut right through and clean final cut is right through to have a flush surface.
Does this seem correct? That's not the tree I will be using, of course.
Cut one doesn't necessarily go all the way to half way, most are there abouts but a heavy branch that one cannot support may pinch the saw blade before getting to half way. There are other techniques for situations like that and you wouldn't be using a pruning saw on branches that size so I wont go into them. But I'd say you have the theory down pat and should give it a little go. Try on small branches that you can support with your free arm easily first and work your way up. (And everyone and I mean everyone will get their saw stuck at one point.) So take the strokes slow and steady so as not to loose your grip if it does pinch. No sawing away like a demented Russian Gypsy violinist.
The other thing is that your final clean up cut should start with the top nearer the trunk and sloping outwards slightly.
The opposite way you've got your line in your picture
Of course this discussion hasn't looked at the art of coppicing yet
The opposite way you've got your line in your picture
Of course this discussion hasn't looked at the art of coppicing yet
Exucse my ignorance but why not just start with the finishing cut? I mean, it's not actually hard to accurately cut with a saw.. and aslong as you don't tear the branch off and intentionally damage bark, won't the tree won't be fine? Or are we referring to large branches, that have little control if/when they fall..?
I took took branch the other night from a big Hazel, it was wrist thick, high up and I did it in the rain with a dog tied to my leg using my folding saw.. and the tree and I were both fine.
I took took branch the other night from a big Hazel, it was wrist thick, high up and I did it in the rain with a dog tied to my leg using my folding saw.. and the tree and I were both fine.
Exucse my ignorance but why not just start with the finishing cut? I mean, it's not actually hard to accurately cut with a saw.. and aslong as you don't tear the branch off and intentionally damage bark, won't the tree won't be fine? Or are we referring to large branches, that have little control if/when they fall..?
I took took branch the other night from a big Hazel, it was wrist thick, high up and I did it in the rain with a dog tied to my leg using my folding saw.. and the tree and I were both fine.
There's a chance on thicker branches of the stump splitting into the main trunk as the branch is cut.
This could then lead to a place where fungus could invade the the tree.
As for your hazel... check back on it in two or three years to see if it's truly fine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW2DN46lrqk
As a reference, I'd like to harvest wood roughly this thickness.
Edit: Hm, could I not just find a recently fallen tree as this would obviously be green wood and I wouldn't have to worry about damaging the tree?
As a reference, I'd like to harvest wood roughly this thickness.
Edit: Hm, could I not just find a recently fallen tree as this would obviously be green wood and I wouldn't have to worry about damaging the tree?
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Yup... that's your best bet for harvesting a variety of different woods as well.
I noticed several large branches of willow and some rowan were down in my local park so I may well take a wander down there tomorrow to see what I can womble
You could and you could do it on completely seasoned dead wood, it would just be harder work, I've carved both, just set about it there is a noticeable difference between completely green and seasoned wood.
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That was my intention, find the ones that would have falled in our not so terrible storm.. I'll check the cut ever so often to see for any problems I may have induced! I do doubt it'll come to any harm but for the sake of evidence I'll report as and when!
I'm no professional but i saw this the other day and i thought it might help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJizA72u1CM
One thing with the chap in the video is when he starts his first cut his supporting hand is in line with the saw. If it or he slipped he could take his wrist across the upturned saw. Which could be bad news in a remote location. Always watch your own digits and limbs as well as the trees.
Just been on a muddy trek through the woods for an hour or two. Didn't find a single sycamore. Shame. The birch that was there was also very tall and there were no lower limbs.
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