How not to cut off a tree limb

[Bob Of Burleson]

We have a Chinese pistachio tree in the back yard, and at 10 or 12 feet where the branching begins there was a solitary limb growing straight up. Apparently the limb got a late start in tree life because it was always shaded by foliage and struggled mightily to get to the sun. Sadly, it didn't make it and died.

So this morning I decided to cut off the little limb that couldn't. Actually, it wasn't so little, only 3 or 4 inches in diameter but 15 or 20 feet long. Because of the limb's hard-to-reach location, I decided to use a hand-powered, labor-intensive saw on my pole pruner.

I plotted my attack. The limb was attached to one of the primary branches of the pistachio, therefore in the finest tree surgeon tradition I needed to make a 45-degree cut. OK, I had access for that if I employed my trusty stepladder. (No, I'm not going to tell you that I fell off the ladder.)

Up I go and the work begins. Saw, saw, saw, saw, saw, saw... Funny how that saw gets harder to use the older it gets. When I was about three-quarters of the way through, I moved to the other side of the tree and started cutting on the victimized limb at the same 45-degree angle. The amputation was going to be nice and clean.

Saw, saw, saw, saw, saw, saw... At the halfway mark it dawned on me that something was wrong. Eeek! I forgot that a 45-degree cut on one side of the limb required the cut on the other side to be an OPPOSITE 45 degrees. What I had was a V-shaped cut. But the lumberjacking was a success because when I gave the limb a shove, it came crashing straight down.

Now all I have to do is cut up the limb that would make a nice spear and eliminate the strange looking notch in the mother tree. I think I'll use my power pruner this time.

[Sangersteve]

You might need this.

[Grassman]

I need some pruning done, you available?