Chatted with an old-timer at the nursery last week about pruning cuts

He told me I was leaving too much stub on my branch collars and showed me his flush cut method that's kept his oaks healthy for 30 years. Has anyone else found that changing their cut angle made a big difference in how fast wounds seal up?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_bell6d ago

Does the flush cut really not mess with the branch collar's natural healing? I've always been hesitant to try that but maybe I've been too cautious.

the_john6d ago

Man, I wouldn't go flush cut on oaks. I tried that once on a maple and it opened the door for rot inside the trunk. The old-timers method worked for him because his trees were probably already established and he got lucky with the weather. On branch collars, you want about a half inch stub above the collar ridge. That way the tree seals the wound from inside out instead of trying to close over a flat cut. I switched to a 45 degree angle on my cuts a few years back and the callus rolled right over the wound in one season instead of two. Just don't cut flush, period. Let the tree do the work.