DIYbanter - View Single Post - how to prune a branch without killing it?

Smitty Two

In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

I've been reading up on pruning a bit.

I've learned that you can prune off a, I'll call it
a "side branch", right close to where it branches
off from it's "parent" branch, just as long as
you do it beyond that bulging-out mass where it
branches off -- that bulging-out mass is made of
protective cells that can isolate the cut from
the other side of the bulge, thus protecting the tree.

Here's my question:

You have this bush with a branch that's 5 or 6 feet long,
is by the side of a path or sidewalk, and sticks out
into the sidewalk by, say, 2 feet or so.

The nearest "bulge" (ie safe) cut-point is way back at
the trunk, four or more feet from the sidewalk edge (where
it's not bothering anyone) -- so you'd like to cut it there,
at the sidewalk edge.

You don't really want to cut it way back at the trunk, because
you loose not only the long branch that's bothering no one,
but ALSO all the branches that come off IT.

So, that's my question. What do I do?

Thanks,

David

Cut it just beyond the last inoffensive sub branch that comes off it.
IOW, prune as though the big branch was the "side branch" and the small
one was the "parent branch."