Tree Pruning. Reduction Vs. Thinning. Arborist Advice

[@FlyGuy2000]

I have a lot of respect for a guy who shows other people how to do the job he does for a living - thanks for the tutorial!

[@lynnduong7525]

This is the first time I’ve ever understood thinning vs reduction cuts. Ty for the clear and concise explanation w/ multiple examples!

[@ArboristAdvice]

So glad to help. I've always thought this information not to be common sense but once you learn it, it makes sense.

[@lldonn2490]

Best video thus far. I've watched numerous videos today and no one has given rhyme or reason to what they are doing - it's very hap-hazard and mindless. You sir, however, are THE BEST. Thank you! Now I can trim my trees with somewhat of a plan. Why don't you have a million views!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Very good to hear! Thanks for the kind words.

[@AtlantisIndigo]

Haphazard and mindless was just about what I was gonna do but now I have a plan!

[@renostubbs8504]

Excellent example my friend,glad I came across this video. Thank you

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad you did too!

[@anonymouslyominous33]

Wow , juaquin phenoix finally got a real job , a productive one that adds value to the world

[@gptx_5018]

One of the best fundamental videos and example of tree trimming guidance. Thanks.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thank you for saying so.

[@garyjohnson7235]

I downloaded his how-to video and it is great. Very well done and complete.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thank you for saying so! I’m glad “Mesquites & Palo Verdes, A Home Owner’s Guide” was useful to you.

[@deme7997]

Clear speaking with detailed info. Great video thank you so much for helping.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help!

[@michelled4042]

Best pruning tutorial. Explained what to do and why. Thank you,

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thanks for saying so.

[@susanvose8713]

I have used Romeo for both new and mature trees since 2015. I want to give my new trees the best start. I highly recommend him if your trees that live in Tucson area. Knowledgable, hard working, does what he says he will do when he schedules it.

[@ArboristAdvice]

@@susanvose8713 Thank you Susan!

[@ronr3656]

Very good video with great, simple, easy to understand concepts. I am in Cincinnati, OH so I won't be pruning too many mesquite trees but the principles hold for many other species. Good stuff!

[@ArboristAdvice]

So right you are....The principles do hold true for most trees. Thanks for watching.

[@codygregory5883]

One of The most helpful videos I’ve seen

[@ArboristAdvice]

@@codygregory5883 Glad to know it! This information is not common sense but once you hear it, it makes sense.

[@2brnt2b]

Very nice explanation

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help!

[@311rirun]

We have some very tall pines and your tutorial provided me with some great information as to how we should proceed. Thanks for your excellent video!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Very glad to help!

[@lilywondertwin]

So gladI found your channel!! Great wisdom and experience !

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thank you, glad to help.

[@Troy-McClure81]

This is a great video, thank you.I have a over 20 year old in my front yard.Makes great shade but it was over watered in the beginning of its life and fell over.Was trimmed down and replanted.Still 20 feet tall.Las Vegas,NV here,probably take 100 lbs off my tree twice a year,these bad boys aren't for the faint of heart lol

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad the video helped! Amazing how resiliant mesquites and palo verdes are.

[@alicemoore9701]

I wish you would do a video on what to do about a co-dominant crotch in a desert tree, please😊

[@PaperCut2UGaming]

I already did alot of cuts prior to this video. I’ll take this advice going forward. My question is does the time of year matter and for the branches I’ve cut down to the trunk is there anything I can do to avoid something happening to the tree as I cut very close to the trunk. I think I cut right through the knot that is at the start of the limb and the trunk

[@ArboristAdvice]

Rather than asking when is the best time to prune a mesquite in the Sonoran desert, the better question is when not to prune. Avoid pruning out significant green within 6 to 8 weeks of new growth. Explanation: The tree spends all winter storing up nutrients. If we remove limbs within 6 to 8 weeks of growth then the tree will get no return for its investment. If you have taken out the interior of the tree which is unfortunately very common then give it some time to regrow the inner canopy. Nurture the inner canopy so to speak. The tree will grow new "suckers" as a response to trying to regrow the inner canopy. Allow it to do so. Hope that was helpful.

[@sakygen]

Awesome video! Going slow and doing reduction cuts at the end first which slowly raises the canopy

[@ArboristAdvice]

Yes! Making REDUCTION cuts to avoid THINNING cuts not only decreases leverage and weight which raises a limb but it also keeps inner material which absorbs the energy of wind and collects nutrients from the sun in low light conditions that happen every day at dusk and dawn. It's all about nurturing the inner canopy.

[@MarkDrager]

This is a fantastic video. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad it was helpful.

[@noonenobody804]

Thank you for making this video, i appreciated the knowledge and information you give out to anyone who is willing to take the time to listen,so thank you.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Very glad to help!

[@saima08k]

This is amazing! I learnt so much!

[@ArboristAdvice]

@@saima08k So glad it was useful to you.

[@growcontrollandscape]

Excellent information!

[@alicemoore1367]

Please do a Desert Museum video! and Co-Dominate subordination!

[@johnathanmichaels5249]

Very useful practical knowledgeable. Thanks a lot! (I thh hi Ono I have been doing it all wrong and unsure if to cut or not - but now I’ll be on a roll and look like I know what I’m doing with your video!) Thanks again

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to hear that!

[@cnkilts]

Great tutorial. I will use to help me do better trimming at work.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to hear!

[@anvil1844]

Only Professionals can teach like this .

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thanks for saying so.

[@faithhopelove9176]

Thank you!

[@ArboristAdvice]

You are welcome!

[@dennisshaver636]

Excellent video. Thanks for the clear explanation.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help.

[@johnnysalazar1552]

Thank you

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help!

[@alexderus7480]

Excellent video, thank you so much!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad it was useful to you.

[@loganspriggs9828]

Awesome video

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thanks

[@thekarmafarmer608]

You make an excellent point here. I naturally take the leader rather than thin out anyway, but never thought out a reason for it. Thanks. I`m interested though in how we can protect the tree at the cut as I don`t believe there is an effective system for compartmentalisation at the pruning point here. What I mean is, there is no branch bark collar at these pruning points, are there? Thanks for posting this good video. I`d appreciate your feedback.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Great point! CODIT (Compartimentalization of Decay in Trees) as described by the late Alex Shigo happens most effectively at the collar. When cutting on leaders there is no collar. Given that, try not to cut into the space of the limb that is remaining. Think of a cross section of a limb growing out of a leader. Dont cut into that interior portion of the limb that is remaining. I hope my words describe it clearly.

[@thekarmafarmer608]

@@ArboristAdvice Hi RTS. Yes, I know what you mean by that, thanks. Although I do follow that rule, I can`t remember seeing a diagram or a formula for width of cut area in relation to removed and remaining wood, and in consideration of the side branch left (if you can understand my poor way of explaining). It`s an interesting subject. Thanks for your help my friend. All the best with your business.

[@Ressurrectinn]

Amazing video, just what I needed

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to hear it!

[@ronwilson330]

Excellent…thanks!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help

[@Billster1955]

Excellent Video. Thank you sir.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thanks for saying so. Glad to help.

[@djpcinema]

Great work!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thank you!

[@graderight5650]

Ours oak is 50' , helps avoid derision in back yard, has been trimmed, but now it a hurricane disaster in the the making--for either us or neighbors. Would have to cut at least 20'. Can I do that or it just has to go....?

[@ArboristAdvice]

Difficult to say without seeing the tree on site since there are many factors to consider other than the height of the canopy including root health/structure & strength. Limb taper also plays a big role. Soil dampness and compaction should also be considered.

[@grant9047]

Thanks man, that helped me a lot.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help!

[@michelel1852]

Great video thank you! Can those same principles apply to a desert pine tree?

[@ArboristAdvice]

The reduction principle, cutting a leader back to a branch, applies the same in a pine to take off weight and leverage. Although I did not speak of using reduction cuts to subordinate lower limbs from the main dominant canopy in this video, subordination is done less frequently in pines due to their already naturally growing subordinate lower canopy.

[@ranger18771]

well spoken, good info... good video!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thank you, hope the info helps.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thanks for the feedback. Hope the video helped.

[@nachiketa3629]

great video, thank you!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help.

[@bynumtreeandlandscape7506]

Great video, thanks!!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help. Espescially another tree guy!

[@yomomma3621]

Does this method also apply to maples and other trees?

[@ArboristAdvice]

Yes, absolutely. The differences are found in the patterns of branch attachment and how many branches are attached but the concept of reducing back to a branch and not thinning off branches still applies.

[@jscott1353]

Excellent!

[@ArboristAdvice]

Glad to help.

[@silviuvarzaru9664]

A rule applicable also on fruit trees.

[@PoolSchooler]

Do you know of any companies in the Phoenix area that do what you do the way you do it. I have a mesquite tree that is going crazy and I know it needs some pruning but I do t know who to contact. I love how you go about trimming trees and wanted someone who does it like you. Please let me know. I’m desperate.

[@ArboristAdvice]

Try "Living Tree Service" and "Integrity Tree Service"

[@PoolSchooler]

@@ArboristAdvice I will do that thank you so much for your response I really appreciate it.

[@murphy4trees]

good teaching in the forst 2 minutes. so many people in this industry, even the so-called experts are clueless about the why reduction cuts are far superior to thinning. You did make one mistake though. It is not necessary to make a reduction cut to a lateral 1/3 the diameter of the parent stem. That's an old wives tale. Also, you mention the three step pruning cut, which is another mistaken teaching that refuses to die. Good info.. that limb could last through a hurricane or an ice storm now. It's good for many years

[@ArboristAdvice]

Hi Mr. Murphy, Thank you for commenting with your insight. Cutting leaders back to branches that are less than 1/3rd the diameter of the leader you are removing is simply a rule of thumb which tries to avoid the home owner reducing back to a limb which has not yet formed enough to assume the new leader role. Certainly, if all limbs have been removed as in a "lion tailed" limb then one must reduce back to whatever may be available which might possibly be less than 1/3rd. Regarding your dislike of the three cut pruning method: is there another technique you use to avoid tearing a limb that is too heavy to manually control?

[@jessehuffman3502]

preferable 1/3 not required. Still best practice, just my opinion GREAT VIDEO

[@murphy4trees]

@@jessehuffman3502 "best" compared to what???.. because thge way that I was taught, you just cut te entire limb off if there isn't a lateral 1/3 diameter to take the lead. WHICH IS COMPLETE GARBAGE... take as much weight off as needed in that given scenario and let the tree regrow from there... even a stub that can put out sprouts from latent buds

[@joshchavee5395]

Would this only be good for mesquite and palo verde? Arizona local here. Just wondering if this is a general rule

[@theronwinsby]

This applies to all trees in most situations.

[@joshchavee5395]

@@theronwinsby great, thank you for the response. Stay cool

[@ArboristAdvice]

Hi Josh, ProTrees has it right! This concept absolutly holds true for most trees. Basically we want to nurture the lower canopy, the lower branches and not remove them. If they are functionally in the way then attempt to reduce them rather than remove them. 👍🏽

[@ratoncito017]

Me gustaría trabajar con esta persona

[@ArboristAdvice]

Thanks for the compliment.

[@bman6065]

Trying to convince someone to do a crown reduction who wants a topping is like trying to convince them to eat healthier to remedy their diabetes. Here in Tennessee, those are pretty much the exact same people.

[@ArboristAdvice]

I feel where you are coming from. Try this: Give them three reasons why keeping the middle and lower canopies is beneficial. 1. The resulting growth is in thickness and strength rather than weakess and length. 2. Middle limbs serve to absorb the vibration of wind. 3. Lower green material collects nutrients from the sun in lower light conditions. Dusk and dawn is about six hours a day. Add that up over a tree's life and it is a long time.

[@theronwinsby]

Well said! Good way of saying do not "lion tail". Check out my videos and let me know what you think!

[@videodancer1]

For so long I thought you were saying "liter" cuts. I didn't know how a liquid measurement translated to a tree-related measurement. Now I figured out that you're saying "leader" cuts, as in branches that lead the direction of tree growth.

[@ArboristAdvice]

You got it!

[@graderight5650]

Errosion

[@EasyZ-p1e]

Thank you

[@ArboristAdvice]

@@EasyZ-p1e You’re welcome!

[@buzzabouttucson]

Great video, thank you!!!

[@ArboristAdvice]

You are welcome!

[@np6341]

Thank you!