Pruning branches more than just a snip here and there

Just as an uncontrolled crowd can do a lot of damage, uncontrolled crowding of tree limbs can, too.

The best time to train a tree is also the easiest: When the tree is young and the pruning cuts are small. A strong supporting framework, or scaffold, of well-spaced branches will carry a young tree through adulthood. As the tree grows, each main branch will have plenty of room to expand without crowding.

Just how do you go about choosing which branches of a young tree can stay and which have to go? Look first for strong side branches that attach to the main trunk in a pattern that spirals upward from all sides of the trunk.

Select for "keepers" branches that attach to the trunk with a wide angle. Prune away any major branches that make narrow angles with the trunk. It's these narrow-angled branches that are most likely to break in a storm.

Here's why: Dead bark tends to gradually build up in a narrow crotch between the trunk and any thick branch. Because the crotch includes bark, the technical term is actually "included bark." This bark -- which does nothing to help hold the limb to the tree -- makes a narrow crotch structurally weak.

Once the branch grows bigger and heavier, it's apt to split off from the trunk at this weak point.

Winter is the ideal time for pruning, partly because when the leaves are off the tree it's easier to see what you're doing. Cut out any branches that cross, as well as those that are dead or damaged. Don't leave stubs but do leave the collarlike, swollen area at the base of each one intact.

If a young tree has two central leaders, shorten one. Also cut off at the base any thin, upright shoots arising from the ground or from a previous pruning cut.

Forget pruning paint. Once considered a necessity, pruning paint has been shown to slow the healing of wounds.

To help make pruning easier and less tiring, select pruning tools designed with ergonomic features.

To cut small branches, use bypass-style hand pruners, which have blades that glide past each other. For a branch over a half-inch thick, use long-handled loppers. For making cuts more than 1½ inch thick, you'll need a pruning saw. For fastest healing of cuts, keep the blades of all pruning tools sharp.

If your tree is big enough to require a ladder and a chain saw, play it safe and hire a professional arborist. Select an arborist who is certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or the state's arborist association as well as a member in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Ask to see a current certificate of liability insurance covering both personal injury and property damage.