I finally figured out why my pruning cuts kept dying back

For the longest time I was making cuts flush to the trunk on my oaks here in Portland. Thought I was doing it right, keeping it clean. Then I took a class last spring and the instructor pointed out I was cutting into the branch collar every single time. That collar is where the tree seals itself off. I lost three big limbs on a red oak before I realized what was happening. Now I leave that little bump of bark and the cuts heal way faster. Has anyone else had trouble retraining themselves on this?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorclark4h ago

Man you're not alone on that one. It took me about three seasons of watching my cuts die back before I finally looked up what a branch collar actually was. I had this one maple that just kept getting these sunken dead spots around every pruning wound.

stellam893h ago

Did you try cutting just outside the branch collar on an angle so water runs off?