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CraftingQuestioner t1_iub85wf wrote

I'm a bit confused by 4 and 10. So if you need to cut a large branch you're neither supposed to leave a stub nor cut it flush? Is there a perfect amount to leave that is neither of these? What's the third option?

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elevationatlas t1_iudllbw wrote

Every branch should have a branch collar, which is where the trunk begins and the branch ends. Cuts should always be made at this area to minimize the branch left over so that the trunk can grow around the wound and close it sooner. Cuts should also be made perpendicular to the branch (at a 90 degree angle) to minimize the surface area of the cut. Tree wounds are like people wounds -- more surface area means more places for bacteria to grow.

This link shows the proper cuts (cutting from C to D). Cutting it flush is cutting from C to X. https://d2fxn1d7fsdeeo.cloudfront.net/kentuckyliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/07003128/properpruning.jpg

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