Safety equipment: Work Gloves

Work gloves made of leather or synthetic material are always a good idea. You will be handling rough wood that at the very least will give you splinters. Many plants, such as junipers, also leak sap that irritates the skin. Safety glasses should always be worn when you will be working inside or very close to a shrub, or working near a partner: it is very easy for the thin tips of branches to snap whiplike into your face.

Are the branches you’ll be working on too long or heavy? If you are about to prune a tree or large shrub, you will encounter branches that are heavy. One sign of this is the wood bows towards the ground before or while you cut. If this describes what you’re working on, one cut won’t hack it. You must use a preliminary cut to relieve the weight before your final pruning cut.

If using pruners, get the branch as deep between the blades as you can before making your cut. You will get the most leverage, and the strongest cut, by using this method. You will be tempted to use just the tips of the blades to cut because it is faster, but this is hard on your hands and dulls the tool faster.

Now, if you do not feel comfortable or simply don’t have the proper tools to do any tree maintenance, we are more than happy to do any of this work for you. Also, if you have multiple trees to remove or just don’t have the time to do it, we are here for you. We can handle all of your tree maintenance needs and services in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and even West Richland. We look forward to being your preferred tree maintenance provider.

Choose The Right Tool

By deciding where to cut first, you will know how thick the wood at your cut site is. This, and the presence of considerations like narrow crotch angles with nearby wood and other access considerations, will tell you what tool you should use to make your cut.

For the cuts you can reach from ground level, you will choose between 3 main tools. For cuts over 7 feet high you’ll need tools with poles. Always bring all the tools you might need out into the field with you. You should carry pruners and saws comfortably in holsters and tuck loppers into a belt. Otherwise, it is easy to get lackadaisical and try to use the wrong tool instead of the right one you left behind in the shed.

Larger limbs will require larger tools, but always use the smallest tool that works most comfortably. We are more than happy to tackle these larger limbs and trees. We are experts at tackling these projects with precision and skill.

Now, if you do not feel comfortable or simply don’t have the proper tools to do any tree maintenance, we are more than happy to do any of this work for you. Also, if you have multiple trees to remove or just don’t have the time to do it, we are here for you. We can handle all of your tree cutting and removal in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and even West Richland. We look forward to being your preferred tree maintenance provider.

Have Sharp Tools. You must have sharp tools. Pruning is essentially surgery. You can’t do surgery with a dull scalpel. A clean pruning cut slices wood, it doesn’t tear it. Dull blades tear wood fibers, killing more living cells and blocking the healing process.

Choose Where To Cut. Whether you are removing wood that is dead, damaged, or diseased or pruning out wood for other purposes like thinning or shaping the plant, your first step to making a good cut is deciding which branch needs to be cut.

Once you’ve decided on which branch to cut, find a good cut site. When pruning or cutting a branch a year or older off trees and shrubs, there will be a “collar” ringing the base of the branch. On older wood, this areas is large and more visible. Cut above this ring. Never cut into it. When cutting smaller wood, locate your cut just above a strong node with either one or more healthy buds or, even better, a healthy offshoot.

On hardwood that is over three years old, buds are buried within the wood. If this is the case, make the cut at the height you want. If the wood is healthy, you’ll see regrowth from a hidden bud eventually. Afterwards, you can follow up with any further cuts to remove dead wood.

For the best cut, when possible, cut to an offshoot that is not only healthy, but points in the direction you want future growth to occur. This is usually away from the center of the plant. It’s usually worth cutting back farther and pruning off more wood to get this situation.

Now, if you do not feel comfortable or simply don’t have the proper tools to do any tree maintenance, we are more than happy to do any of this work for you. Also, if you have multiple trees to remove or just don’t have the time to do it, we are here for you. We can handle all of your tree maintenance needs and services in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and even West Richland. We look forward to being your preferred tree maintenance provider.