My dad pointed out I was cutting branches too flush with the trunk last month

I always thought a clean flush cut was the goal until he showed me the collar and the bark ridge that I was completely ignoring, has anyone else had that moment where a small detail totally changed how you prune?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennybailey6d ago

Wait, you mean you're supposed to leave a little bit of the branch collar sticking out? I always thought a perfect smooth cut was the sign of a pro, but now I'm wondering how many trees I've accidentally hurt over the years. That's honestly wild that such a tiny shift in where you make the cut can be the difference between a healthy tree and one that's just asking for trouble.

the_felix7d ago

Does it actually make that big of a difference though? My dad's trees look fine and he cuts them however he wants.

sam_cooper7d agoMost Upvoted

I actually read that a bad cut can leave the tree open to diseases or pests, and the wrong angle can make branches grow weak and snap in a storm. So maybe his trees look fine now but could have problems down the line.