TREE PRUNING

Trees add structure and grandeur to your garden, and play a very important role in privacy, screening, shade and creating a backdrop to your garden bed. Most trees will drop their leaves before going dormant in the colder months, making Autumn the perfect time to give your trees a little love!

Early Autumn is the ideal time to reduce the height of trees or to shape the canopy with a long reach pole pruner. When pruning back a tree with the HTA 85 Battery Pole Pruner, it’s important to be aware of where you’re standing. Maintain stability by keeping your arms at waist level without extending them over your head, and keep an angle of no less than 60° to the limb you’re working on so you’re safe from falling branches. It’s always a good idea to quickly plan where the cuttings might fall, and position yourself accordingly. The telescopic shaft on the HTA 85 Battery Pole Pruner can be extended to 3.9 metres with one quick action, so you’re able to safely reach trees up to 5 metres high. Leave any branches over 5 metres high to a professional arborist.

When using your HTA 85 Battery Pole Pruner, focus on removing the three D’s – Dead, Damaged and Diseased. To maintain the health of the upper branches, remove any “suckers” – the new vertical shoots growing from the base of the tree. Clear away unwanted branches from buildings, guttering or pathways and clip off any dead flower heads on your flowering trees.

Start by taking off any of the lower branches to expose the trunk, cutting them as close to the trunk as possible. First, make a relieving cut in the compression side (usually underneath the branch), then a bucking cut at the tension side (usually on top). Apply light pressure as you cut and avoid using the tip of the bar. It is important to assess each branch for any signs that the wood is under tension as this can cause the guide bar to pinch during the cut.

After you’re done pruning, hang on to your cuttings and any thicker branches. These are great for keeping your fireplace or fire pit going throughout Winter!

In Short | Top Tips for Autumnal Tree Pruning

1. Before you start pruning, develop a plan as to where the cuttings are likely to fall and prepare for this.
2. The telescopic shaft can be extended to 3.9m with one quick action, reaching trees up to 5m high.
3. Maintain an angle of no more than 60° to the limb you’re working on. This will make sure you’re not under it when it falls!
4. For stability, keep your arms at waist level, don’t extend them overhead.
5. When pruning in early Autumn, focus on removing the three D’s – Dead, Damaged and Diseased.
6. Only apply light pressure when you cut and avoid using the tip of the bar.
7. To stop the guide bar being pinched when pruning heavy branches, make a small relieving cut in the compression side first (usually at the bottom of the branch), then a second cut (called a bucking cut) at the opposite side
8. For branches over 5m high, leave those to a professional arborist – like Laurence!