Tree Care After Cutting Limbs

Whether you are pruning a tree for its own good or it has been damaged, the key to caring for the wound left behind is to cut properly and use the right tool. While there are wound dressings available, most properly cut trees won't need them. There are exceptions, however. The most important thing is to consider what is best for your individual tree.

Pruning shears

Lopping shears

Hand saw

Chain saw

Latex wound dressing

Make pruning cuts in such a manner than the wound will heal quickly. Cuts should be made flat against the adjacent branch, so that no stub remains. If a branch has broken due to weather or some other form of trauma, prune the remaining branch in this manner. Cuts should be made at a slight downward angle so that water doesn't sit in the cut.

Use the proper tool for making cuts to minimize damage to the tree. Pruning shears are small, hand-held instruments used to cut small branches up to 3/4 inch in diameter. Loping shears have longer handles for greater leverage, and will cut branches up to 1-and-1/2-inches in diameter. A hand saw will cut a branch up to 4 inches in diameter. A branch larger than that should be cut with a chain saw.

Apply a latex-based wound dressing to the cut only if you believe that insects will damage the tree if you don't. Most properly pruned branch cuts will heal on their own with no dressing. Pruning in the fall or winter, when most insects are dormant, will help avoid the need for a dressing. Sometimes damage happens during spring or summer storms, however, that require protection. Latex-based dressings are the best choice. Do not use asphalt-based products.