Pruning a Crabapple Tree | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner prune his crabapple tree.
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Time: 4 hours
Cost: $50
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Pruning a Crabapple Tree:
Pruning saw []
Pole saw []
Bypass pruners []
Pole pruners []
String []
Grub hoe []
Leaf rake []
Drill []
Shopping List:
Mulch []
1/2 inch spade drill bit []
Steps:
1. A crabapple with brown leaves may have apple scab disease, a fungal infection.
2. Roger recommends removing any branches that are low enough to be bumped when mowing the lawn.
3. When removing a large branch, use the three cut method. First, make an undercut about a third of the way through the branch.
4. Next, make a top cut a few inches out from the undercut. This allows the weight of the branch to fall without damaging the bark.
5. Finally, cut a flush cut just above the branch collar.
6. Roger also recommends removing any branches that are rubbing together.
7. Use a pole saw to cut any branches that are out of reach, using the same 3 cut method.
8. Small branches, called suckers, can be removed along the large branches.
9. Remove grass within a 4 foot radius of the trunk. Use a string looped around the trunk to determine the circle’s size and pull the grass by hand so as not to damage the tree roots. If no roots are present in the top of the soil, a grub hoe can be used.
10. Spread mulch around the tree about 2” thick using a rake, keeping it away from the trunk of the tree.
11. Where water can collect and cause rot, drill a _” drainage hole.
Resources:
All tools used, including pruning saws, pole saws, pruning sheers, and pruning poles are available to purchase at the local home center.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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Pruning a Crabapple Tree | Ask This Old House
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