Question
Is there a certain time of year that a person should not trim a pine?  I live in
Minnesota and would like to trim the tree so there would be about 4 feet of
clearance on the ground. The tree is about 30 feet tall. Thank You.

Answer
The beat time would be in the late Fall after the hardwood tree have dropped their leaves. The pines will have less sap movement and the wounds will not exude sap which could attract bark beetles to the pine. When you make the pruning cuts on the limbs do not cut them flush with the trunk but you should see a slight swelling about a 1/8 inch from the trunk cut just beyond this swelling. This is called the branch collar and the wound will heal faster if it is left.

To remove large branches, three or four cuts will be necessary to avoid tearing the bark. Make the first cut on the underside of the branch about 18 inches from the trunk. Undercut one-third to one-half way through the branch. Make the second cut an inch further out on the branch; cut until the branch breaks free.


Before making the final cut severing a branch from the main stem, identify the branch collar. The branch collar grows from the stem tissue around the base of the branch. Make pruning cuts so that only branch tissue (wood on the branch side of the collar) is removed. Be careful to prune just beyond the branch collar, but DON扵 leave a stub. If the branch collar is left intact after pruning, the wound will seal more effectively and stem tissue probably will not decay.

The third cut may be made by cutting down through the branch, severing it. If, during removal, there is a possibility of tearing the bark on the branch underside, make an undercut first and then saw through the branch.

Do not use any wound dressing type paint on the wound the tree will heal faster without this.