How much should be pruned?
A. The amount of live tissue that should be removed depends on the tree size, species, and age, as well as the pruning objectives. Younger trees will tolerate the removal of a higher percentage of living tissue than mature trees. An important principle to remember is that a tree can recover from several small pruning wounds faster than from one large wound. A common mistake is to remove too much inner foliage and small branches. It is important to maintain an even distribution of foliage along large limbs and in the lower portion of the crown. Over-thinning reduces the tree’s sugar production capacity and can create tip-heavy limbs that are prone to failure. Mature trees should require little routine pruning. A widely accepted rule of thumb is never to remove more than one fourth of a tree’s leaf bearing crown. In a mature tree, pruning even that much could have negative effects. Removing even a single, large-diameter limb can create a wound that the tree may not be able to close. The
