how to prune tree

[granmahen]

Anybody know the best way to scale our fruitless mulberry back? Just want to lose about five feet all the way around? Possible?

 

[iread]

I would just take a pole saw and round the crown out. If you want to take five feet off, then measure in from the tips and cut. I would also be sure to cut any branches that are crossing (growing into each other) and any brances that are growing to the inside of the tree instead of growing out.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
^^^^This and depending, you may want to do it slowly. A little this year and then the rest next year so you don't risk killing the tree.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

From my experience with mulberry trees, just prune away. You can't kill them, they just keep on growing.

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
What she said!

Here they prune them down to nothing, just a big stump and every year they grow back like monsters.

 

[Bantimna]

You don't prune Mulberry tree's you just shape them. Remove all the dead branches.

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

Try the sister site, TheEasyGarden.com

 

[seismic wonder2]

Here's a trick my pop taught me....
Tie a rope to the "center" of the tree that is the size of the ball you want...stretch out the rope and cut where it ends ***bang*** perfectly quaffed tree.

 

[granmahen]

Wow, thanks for all your ideas. I'm in Central California too, and honestly I think pruning a tree all the way back to the trunk is wrong. You all have given my dh and myself the courage to wade in and tackle the big brute. We need the shade so, yeah, I think we'll take it nice and easy. But I do think we need to go at it pretty soon. Thanks again.

 

[newchickenfamily]

Well you definitely can't hurt it much! We had a giant one in our front yard. Finally had to take the whole thing down because the roots were cracking our foundation. I miss the shade.

I wouldn't "nub it back" for sure. They grow back so ugly that way. You want it to still look like a "tree".