Wound dressings don't prevent decay, disease or insect infestations as once believed.

A reduction cut (also called drop-crotching or thinning to a lateral) is a method of pruning used to reduce the height of a tree. When done properly, branches are cut back to a lateral branch at least one-third the diameter of the limb being removed and large enough to outgrow lateral branches directly below.

Nov 28, When you cut tree branches, you create wounds that can act as open doors for disease. To prevent this, trees naturally seal off wounds.

Splines: Cut a groove the length of an edge at the router table [Photo U].

Dec 09, Make a horizontal cut on the side you want the tree to fall on. Put the teeth of the handsaw 1–2 feet (– m) above the tree’s roots and move it back and forth to create a %(6). You can seal ends of tree branches with a number of wound dressings. While coating the ends of branches when pruning generally is considered an outdated practice that actually does more harm than good in some circumstances, you can still do it.

Jan 05, Make clean cuts flush with the trunk of the tree when removing large branches. Straight cuts leave smaller wounds than angled cuts, and smaller wounds are more likely to callus over promptly. Cut broken limbs with ragged ends below the point of injury. Tree trunks often sustain damage during lawn maintenance.