Q. Last November my next
door neighbor’s African sumac trees were pruned to a trunk and branches. They
were cut back so much I was sure they were being removed but was told they
would leaf again. They did and are green and a lovely, smaller shape. I am
planning to take the plunge with my tree but was advised to wait until February
to avoid freezing damage. What should I do?
door neighbor’s African sumac trees were pruned to a trunk and branches. They
were cut back so much I was sure they were being removed but was told they
would leaf again. They did and are green and a lovely, smaller shape. I am
planning to take the plunge with my tree but was advised to wait until February
to avoid freezing damage. What should I do?
A. I will get to the
February pruning. There is a right way and wrong way to radically prune large
trees to a much smaller size. African sumac trees will survive this kind of
pruning and you can get a much smaller tree. But the resulting growth from this
tree will be weakly attached to the main trunk and large branches. This results
in a lot of future wind damage to the tree and will cost more money to have
this repaired later.
February pruning. There is a right way and wrong way to radically prune large
trees to a much smaller size. African sumac trees will survive this kind of
pruning and you can get a much smaller tree. But the resulting growth from this
tree will be weakly attached to the main trunk and large branches. This results
in a lot of future wind damage to the tree and will cost more money to have
this repaired later.
Radical pruning that dramatically reduces the size of a
tree must always be done during the winter months. Winter freezing damage to
this tree does not happen very often here so I am not overly concerned about
waiting until February. Not a bad idea though if the tree will look ugly until
it regrows.
tree must always be done during the winter months. Winter freezing damage to
this tree does not happen very often here so I am not overly concerned about
waiting until February. Not a bad idea though if the tree will look ugly until
it regrows.
We are talking about African sumac now. This type of
pruning will not work on all large trees. If this type of pruning had been done
to most ash trees, it would’ve killed them.
pruning will not work on all large trees. If this type of pruning had been done
to most ash trees, it would’ve killed them.
The acceptable method for reducing the size of larger trees
is a technique called “drop crotching”. This technique identifies the tallest
limbs and removes them at a “crotch” in the tree, using a clean cut that leaves
no stubs. When cutting trees in this way, the height is reduced but strong
limbs remain to support the canopy and reduces future wind damage.
is a technique called “drop crotching”. This technique identifies the tallest
limbs and removes them at a “crotch” in the tree, using a clean cut that leaves
no stubs. When cutting trees in this way, the height is reduced but strong
limbs remain to support the canopy and reduces future wind damage.
Basically, “drop crotching” can be done to any large tree,
not just African sumac. The type of pruning you saw done to your neighbor’s
trees only works on trees that sucker easily from larger limbs.
not just African sumac. The type of pruning you saw done to your neighbor’s
trees only works on trees that sucker easily from larger limbs.
Dramatically reducing the size of trees by pruning is
best left to tree care professionals, certified arborists, who have passed
rigorous exams demonstrating that they understand and can practice highly
specialized form of pruning correctly. They are more expensive but they know
how to do it correctly.
best left to tree care professionals, certified arborists, who have passed
rigorous exams demonstrating that they understand and can practice highly
specialized form of pruning correctly. They are more expensive but they know
how to do it correctly.