If you are growing evergreen trees and more specifically pine trees on your property, you may wonder if you should prune the lower branches and when is the best time. Keep reading to learn more about pine tree pruning and everything you should consider before cutting a branch!
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), western white pine (Pinus monticola) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) are common in the pacific northwest. If you have these trees in your family forest you may be wondering: should I prune the lower branches?
Pine tree pruning depends on species, the spacing of the trees, your management objectives, and local environmental factors.
Pruning is often common on deciduous trees like fruit trees, but the decision to prune any evergreen tree should not be taken lightly, as once you cut off lower branches, you can’t put them back!
Family Forests vs. Industrial Forests
As an industrial forester and a family forest consultant, I sometimes feel like I have my feet on two different sides of a line. With every forest management practice, I find myself comparing industry standards to small landowner habits.
When it comes to pruning lower branches of evergreen trees, especially pine trees, the differences are pronounced. I find many smaller landowners who take the time to prune lower branches. Most of the time they do this to reduce fire danger.
On the industrial side, the only time I have seen lower branch pruning is on western white pine to reduce blister rust infection potential.
To Prune or Not to Prune: A question of management goals, tree size, species, wildfire risk, and land use
A well managed forest can provide income, recreation opportunities, contribute to climate change solutions and provide clean air and water. The decision of whether to prune should be based on the following considerations:
Forest management goals
The actionable steps you take with your forest will largely depend on your forest management goals and priorities. If you don’t already have a management plan, I highly recommend putting one together. It can be a valuable tool to identify your specific goals and priorities.
Learn more about Forest Management Plans here. Go here for a free template.
If you are unsure what the possibilities are, a local certified forester can help you. These are professionals that can help you write a management plan based on your goals and priorities. You can go here to find a certified forester in your area. These professionals can help you decide if pruning fits into your management plans.
When should I prune pine trees?
The best time of year to prune a pine tree is in the late winter and early spring. Pruning at this ideal time will give the tree a good amount of time to heal the cuts by late summer before early fall rains come. It’s important to complete any pruning before late spring when the tree is doing the bulk of it’s growing for the year.
Pruning at the right time gives the tree enough time to heal and grow that season without any problems. Pruning your trees at the wrong time can introduce disease and fungus to your trees.
How big should my pine trees be before pruning?
Pine trees that are 6 to 20 feet tall are best suited for pruning. If you prune a young pine tree smaller than 6 feet, you risk reducing the growth rate of your tree. A larger tree taller than 20 feet often begins to self-prune lower branches, so it’s not worth your time to prune them.
The economic benefit of pruning to produce smaller knots in trees destined for a lumber mill is better realized on 6-12 foot trees.
How may branches should I prune?
Pine trees use their needles for photosynthesis. Pruning should never remove more than 25% of the total branches on the tree. If you remove more than 25%, the growth rate of your trees will be reduced and and severe pruning could cause mortality.
It is also important to never prune the terminal buds. These are the new growth tips on the top of the tree. If you decide to prune pine trees on your property, you should focus on removing dead branches and diseased branches. These branches will contribute to wildfire risk and the health of your trees.
As you are walking through your forest pruning branches, it might also be a good time to identify any dead or dying trees killed by pine bark beetle. These trees can also contribute to wildfire risk, so it’s best to cut them down and remove them.
Should I use a chainsaw or hand pruners?
For best results, it is better to use hand pruners when removing lower branches. If you use a chainsaw you could accidentally cut into the trunk of the tree which could be detrimental to the health of your trees. You will have much better control using hand pruners.
Special Considerations:
Western White Pine Pruning & White Pine Blister Rust
If you have western white pine trees and your trees are between 6 and 12 feet tall, pruning could help you avoid white pine blister rust. White pine blister rust is a fungal disease that infects western white pine, sugar pine, whitebark pine, and limber pine.
This disease was introduced to British Columbia in 1910 and spread rapidly throughout North America. It causes a canker disease that is often fatal to the tree.
Blister rust infection occurs on trees that are next to currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.) that are infected with the fungus. Pruning lower branches prevents infection as the rust often travels toward the stem of the tree from an infected branch.
If you see any cankers on lower branches of white pine trees, it’s best to cut those branches off before the disease spreads to the trunk of the tree. Learn more about white pine blister rust here.
Deer, Elk, and Moose Antler Rubbing Damage After Pruning
Pruning lower branches on trees can make them more attractive to deer, elk, and moose to rub the velvet off their antlers. This damage most often occurs in the fall. Cutting the branches, but leaving 12 inches of the branch still attached to the stem of the tree can discourage this activity.
Ponderosa and Lodgepole Pine Pruning
Ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine tend to self-prune their lower branches when the growth of neighboring trees starts to block some of the sunlight. Most of the time, it is not worth the time and effort to prune plantations of ponderosa or lodgepole pine.
It does make sense to prune ponderosa or lodgepole pine if you are practicing forest grazing and your grazing animals need access to shade under the trees. It can also make sense to prune ponderosa or lodgepole pine lower branches if you are in an area prone to wildfire.
If you are more concerned about aesthetics and hiking access pruning can also make sense.
Wildfire Risk and Pruning Pine Trees
If your land is located near other forestland, near a road that could act as an ignition source, or is a particularly dry area, you may consider pruning to reduce wildfire risk.
By removing the lower branches on your trees, you reduce the risk that a wildfire would be able to use those branches like a ladder to climb up the trees. If we can keep fire on the ground, it will do much less damage to your trees.
Pruning is one way to reduce wildfire severity and make your trees more resilient.
Drop you questions!
The answer to almost any forestry question comes back to an evaluation of your objectives and goals and understanding your tree species and their particular needs, susceptibilities, and growing patterns.
If you have specific questions about setting your trees up for healthier growth or specific pruning questions, drop them in the comment section below and I’ll do my best to answer them!
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