Pruning a Tree—The Better Way

There’s a Right Way, and a Wrong Way

🔨 How‑To Garden Guide | by Guy Saldiveri | Updated May 21, 2026

Have you ever pruned a branch from a tree, only to be left with a ragged edge about three feet of torn bark? Trust me, you aren't the first and you won't be the last.

That's exactly what I was left with the first time I trimmed a large branch. Knowing a few simple things would have saved me a lot of time and a lot of stress for both myself and the tree.

Pruning is something most homeowners have to do on a fairly regular basis, and if you don’t know a few basic steps, you stand a good chance of doing a bad job.

 

Pruning a tree properly is not only easy — it's very important to the health and viability of the tree itself. Many people look at it as mowing grass or trimming a hedge. They figure they can just cut it and it'll be fine. Trees don't work this way. If a tree is not pruned correctly, it can suffer irreparable damage. 

Disease can settle in and seriously weaken or even kill it.

Here are some standard guidelines and recommendations for pruning different types of branches from trees. We'll discuss cuts for three different types: suckers, small branches, and larger branches. All methods involve the same principle — cutting off the branch while leaving the collar intact and ensuring we leave the smallest wound possible.

Suckers

Clipping a sucker is easy — just straddle the blades of the clippers over the protruding stem, keeping the sides of the clippers against the trunk of the tree, and make the cut. It should leave a nice clean cut as close as you can get without causing any damage. Many times, all you need to do is break the sucker off with your fingers. They usually snap off easily and very cleanly.

Small Branches

Smaller branches are cut almost the same way, but with a couple of small differences.

The first is that you’ll most likely be using a pruning saw or loppers to make the cut. The second is that the cut shouldn’t be right up against the trunk. It should be flush with the collar — the slight swelling where the branch joins the trunk.

V-Shape

If you’re dealing with a V-shaped crotch, don’t overthink it. The same rules apply—find the collar, make a clean cut, and let the tree do the rest.

Large Branches

Larger branches are a bit more involved and require three cuts to do the job properly. 

The first cut should be at least a foot or two away from the trunk, made on the underside of the branch, and only extend about a third of the way into it.

This way, when the second cut is made and the branch starts to drop, it will break cleanly at that first cut instead of tearing the bark.

Once the bulk of the branch is removed, you can make the third and final cut at the collar just as you would for a smaller branch cut.

In all cases, you're left with a small wound that will callous over and heal rapidly without the threat of disease.

Treating your trees right with a few careful cuts now will save you time, stress, and maybe money later on. Do that, and your trees will return the favor for years to come.

Happy Gardening 🌱