Pushhardlumber.com

http://danblewett.com/

By
making the pruning cuts in a certain order, the total number of cuts can be
greatly reduced. The first objective is to remove all dead, broken,
diseased or problem limbs by cutting them at the point of origin or
back to a strong lateral branch or shoot. Often, removing this material
opens the canopy sufficiently so that no further pruning is necessary.

The
next step in pruning is to make any training cuts needed. By cutting
back lateral branches, the tree or shrub is trained to develop a
desired shape, allowing it to fill in open areas caused by storm or wind damage,
or to fit a given area.  Always avoid destroying
the natural shape or growth habit of a tree when pruning unless you're keeping a
close watch over the tree and can assess its health. After a period of time, it will attempt to
assume the more natural growth habit, leading into the next round of pruning to train limbs.

Make additional
corrective prunings to eliminate weak or narrow crotches and remove the
less desirable central leader where double leaders occur. After these
cuts have been made, it's good to stand back and take a look at the work. Are there
any other corrective pruning cuts necessary? If the amount of wood
removed is considerable, further pruning may need to be delayed a year
or so. Remove water sprouts unless needed to fill a hole or to shade a
large limb until other branches develop.

Native soil characteristics (1) help determine the
correct planting method. Heavy clay soils require special
care; digging when wet will destroy soil aggregation and
reduce air content. Amend a clay soil with only a few
handfuls of compost and/or natural fertilizer applied as
directed. An excessively rich planting medium will encourage
roots to stay put ( the bathtub effect). Avoid very wet
sites. Loams and sandy or gravely soils can be enriched with
a small amount of organic material and fertilizer. Dig the
hole at least 1/3 wider but just a few inches deeper than
the root ball. Soil in deeply dug holes will eventually
settle, creating air pockets or causing the plant to
lean.

Thoroughly mix soil with any amendments/fertilizer -
place a small amount of the mix in the bottom of the hole
(2), position the plant, and carefully backfill around the
roots with the mixed soil - tamp lightly. Very
important! - position the plant at the same soil
level (3) as it grew in the nursery. As much as
possible, roots should be placed in a fan pattern, extending
outward and downward. Cut with sharp loppers any broken,
excessively long, or spiraling roots. When planting potted
stock, thoroughly loosen the root ball and direct and trim
roots as needed. When the hole is half filled with soil mix,
add enough water (1-5 gal.) to penetrate below the root zone
- as water drains, gently shake the trunk of the plant to
help settle the soil around roots. After initial drainage,
complete the backfilling process, leaving a 2" basin which
extends well beyond the dripline of the plant - wide and
deep irrigation will encourage roots to continue growing
outward and down. Water to fill the basin and again gently
shake the trunk.

Pruning cuts to both the roots and tops should be kept to
a minimum - removing growth weakens the plant. Unless the
site is extremely exposed and windy, do not support
young trees with stakes or wire; movement of the tree in
wind encourages the growth of a strong lateral root system,
essential for the longevity of the plant. Also, do not wrap
the trunk with tree wrap or treat wounds with any form of
sealer - these practices actually form cavities where
moisture, insects and disease organisms thrive. Finally,
create a topsoil environment (4) that will feed the soil
over time; compost, manures and other organic material
applied two to four inches deep as a mulch will benefit the
plant immensely. Spread these materials in as great an area
as possible, keeping them six inches away from the
trunk.

If
the roots of the tree you are planting is balled, its root system has been reduced by 90 to 95 percent of
its original size. As a result of the trauma
caused by digging and handling, trees will experience transplant shock. Containerized trees may also experience transplant
shock, particularly if they have circling roots that must be cut.
Transplant shock is characterized by slow growth and reduced vigor. Proper site preparation before and during
planting coupled with good follow-up care reduces the amount of time
the plant experiences transplant shock and allows the tree to quickly
establish in its new location.

• Broken or dead branches 


• Limbs beginning to die-back from the ends


• Open cavities or rotten wood
  anywhere on the tree


• Mushrooms or other fungus growing anywhere on the tree


• Cracks or splits in the trunk
  or where branches are attached


• Have neighboring trees fallen over or died from disease?


• The tree is growing on a lean


• Many branches originating from
  one point on the trunk


• Damage to root system from landscape development, soil compaction, or digging


• Has the site recently been changed by construction,
  raising the soil level, or installing lawns?


• If the tree been topped or otherwise heavily
  prune

The following selection of trees are recommended for growing condtions in the Chattanooga area.  Consideration is given to mitigate the risks associated with urban forestry, when very large trees grow close to a building or pedestrian area.  

1.  Ginko

2.  Eastern Redbud

3.  Flowering Dogwood

4.  Deodar Cedar

5.  Leyland Cyprus

6.  Bald Cypress

7.  Flowering Dogwood

8.  Sugar Maple

9.  Red Maple

10.  Yoshino Cherry

11.  Southern Magnolia

12.  Saucer Magnolia

13.  Dawn Redwood

14.  Serviceberry

15.  Yellowwood

16.  Crape Myrtle

17.  Sawtooth Oak

18.  Willow Oak

19.  Pin Oak

20.  Lacebark Elm

21.  Goldenrain Tree

22.  Japanese Zelkovs

23.  Washinigton Hawthorne

24.  Foster Holly

25.  American Holly

The general health of a tree should be fairly obvious when all of its limbs are full of green leaves.  Various forms of disease can be properly identified by wilting or abnormal coloring of leaves, and sections of limbs beginnng to die.  Bark is the trees' first line of defense against disease...

If a tree gets sunlight from all angles it's less likely to compete for light by growing off-center, and over a building.

A typical landscape does not have the capacity to sustain very large trees, nor do homeowners want the added risk.  Pruning can be used to keep a trees close to a home from growing too large and becoming hazardous.  As a rule, trees heal best when the wound is small.  This means that pruning of main, or 'leader', limbs should be done as early as possible, but any time is better than never.  Maintenance pruning ever few years can keep the canopy's size in check; removing small, unwanted limbs will prevent the tree from growing at a normal rate. 

The
Plant Hardiness Zones divide the United States and Canada into 11 areas
based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference in the average annual
minimum temperature. (The United States falls within Zones 2 through
10). For example, the lowest average temperature in Zone 2 is -50 to
-40 degrees Fahrenheit, while the minimum average temperature in zone
10 is +30 to +40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Suggested
hardiness zones have been indicated for all trees and perennials
available online from the Foundation. If a range of zones, for example,
zones 4-9, is indicated, the tree or perennial is known to be hardy in
zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Suitable hardiness means a plant can be
expected to grow in the zone's temperature extremes, as determined by
the lowest average annual temperature.

Keep in mind that
local variations such as moisture, soil, winds, and other conditions
might affect the viability of individual plants.

The outer bark
is the tree's protection from the outside world. Continually renewed
from within, it helps keep out moisture in the rain, and prevents the
tree from losing moisture when the air is dry. It insulates against
cold and heat and wards off insect enemies.

B

The inner bark,
or “phloem”, is pipeline through which food is passed to the rest of
the tree. It lives for only a short time, then dies and turns to cork
to become part of the protective outer bark.

C

The cambium cell layer
is the growing part of the trunk. It annually produces new bark and new
wood in response to hormones that pass down through the phloem with
food from the leaves. These hormones, called “auxins”, stimulate growth
in cells. Auxins are produced by leaf buds at the ends of branches as
soon as they start growing in spring.

D

Sapwood
is the tree's pipeline for water moving up to the leaves. Sapwood is
new wood. As newer rings of sapwood are laid down, inner cells lose
their vitality and turn to heartwood.

E

Heartwood
is the central, supporting pillar of the tree. Although dead, it will
not decay or lose strength while the outer layers are intact. A
composite of hollow, needlelike cellulose fibers bound together by a
chemical glue called lignin, it is in many ways as strong as steel. A
piece 12” long and 1” by 2” in cross section set vertically can support
a weight of twenty tons!

1. Pruning living branches To find the proper place to cut a branch, look for the branch collar that grows from the stem tissue at the underside of the base of the branch. On the upper surface, there is usually a branch bark ridge that runs (more or less) parallel to the branch angle, along the stem of the tree. A proper pruning cut does not damage either the branch bark ridge or the branch collar.	Targeting the cut

A proper cut begins just outside the branch bark ridge and angles down away from the stem of the tree, avoiding injury to the branch collar. Make the cut as close as possible to the stem in the branch axil, but outside the branch bark ridge, so that stem tissue is not injured and the wound can seal in the shortest time possible. If the cut is too far from the stem, leaving a branch stub, the branch tissue usually dies and woundwood forms from the stem tissue. Wound closure is delayed because the woundwood must seal over the stub that was left.

1. With the first cut, make a notch on the side of the stem away from the branch to be retained, well above the branch crotch. 2. Begin the second cut inside the branch crotch, staying well above the branch bark ridge, and cut through the stem above the notch. 3. Cut the remaining stub just inside the branch bark ridge through the stem parallel to the branch bark ridge.	Crown reduction
	Pruning cuts

To prevent the abundant growth of epicormic sprouts on the stem
below the cut, or dieback of the stem to a lower lateral branch, make the cut
at a lateral branch that is at least one-third of the diameter of the stem at
their union.

There is no official body that maintains a record of injuries sustained in arboriculture, but individual studies suggest that most severe injuries are caused by falling debris striking groundworkers.  Injury from equipment would be ranked second, and injury from a tree's integrity failing is rarely cited.  As a rule, human error is the cause of injuries sustained while doing tree work.

Cabling has proven to be a highly effective way to mitigate the risks of large trees in close proximity to a home.  It is accomplished by drilling a hole and installing a bolt into specific areas on two or more limbs.  Opposing limbs are winched together so a stainless steel cable can be attached then relaxed to their normal positions, allowing the cable to tighten.  The support is very effective in preventing suspect limbs from splitting away from the trunk.