Keeping your tree beautiful and healthy requires a lot more than watering it. One thing every tree owner must do is prune their trees regularly.
Pruning might seem straightforward. After all, it only involves cutting large, unwanted, or overgrown branches, right? However, this is not the case. Pruning is a precise art with various methods, such as the three-cut technique.
What is the three-cut technique used for? Read on to learn how trained professionals from Lafayette’s tree pruning company employ this cut method.
Why Pruning Your Tree Is Necessary
Pruning is a maintenance task that helps you keep your trees healthy and thriving. By doing it regularly and correctly, you can improve your tree’s health, enhance your tree’s appearance, boost safety, and increase your tree’s fruit production. However, it’s important to avoid over-pruning techniques like lion tailing trees, which can strip too much foliage from the branches and harm the tree’s health.
What Is the Three-Cut Technique Used For?
You might have seen trained arborists working on your tree and thought to yourself, “I could easily do that.” However, what you might not notice is that there is a lot of skill and precision on show.
Trained arborists have the expertise needed to make the right pruning cuts. They are familiar with the various techniques to employ to ensure the process is efficient. One such technique is the three-cut method.
What is the three-cut technique used for? The three-cut technique is a strategy arborists use to remove large branches from your tree.
Due to their size, large branches are not easy to cut. If you remove them incorrectly, they can damage not just your property but your tree as well. For example, when removing the branch, bark can be stripped in the process. This would leave your tree with an open wound, which is the perfect invitation for insects and diseases. To prevent this, arborists use the three-cut technique to reduce the weight of the branch. Once they do so, they can then make a clean, proper cut.
How to Make a Three-Point Cut
When making the three-point cut, there are certain steps arborists must follow. Here are the key steps the technique involves.
Disinfect the Saw
Pruning tools can carry disease pathogens that could enter the tree through the cuts. As such, arborists always disinfect the saw before and after every cut.
Make an Undercut
The arborist will then make an undercut roughly eight inches from the branch collar. They will cut a third of the way through the underside of the branch.
Make an Overcut
Afterward, they will make an overcut further away from the first cut.
Make the Final Cut
Lastly, the arborist will make the final cut right outside the bark collar.
Professional Pruning Services in Lafayette, OR
You want your tree to remain healthy and beautiful for years to come. That is what the three-cut technique is used for. However, ensure that you always leave this task to trained professionals.
At Oregon Arborist LLC, we offer the quality services you desire. From pruning dead branches to removing overgrown limbs, we’ve got you covered. Call us today at (503) 899-4166 for your free estimate; we can answer more questions like, “What is the three-cut technique used for?”