How to Lower the Crown of a Tree

Preparation

• 1

  Secure the ladder you will be using. For stepladders this may require putting a block or board under one or more legs for stability; for extension ladders this may include tethering the ladder to the tree and will require a second person to steady the ladder at the base.

• 2

  Prepare your pruning tools. This is much easier to do while on the ground before you attempt to use them and realize that a screw needs to be tightened or your chainsaw is out of fuel.

• 3

  Plan your course of action. The view from the ground is different than that at crown level. Know what you are going to cut and mark the limbs, if necessary, with electrical tape or paint.

Lowering the Crown

• 4

  Make your first cut. For large limbs, do not attempt to remove the whole limb with one cut. Cut the limb into pieces and start further out on the branch then make successive cuts closer to the trunk. Make sure the final cut is just above the node of a leaf bud, just above where the limb branches in a different direction, or flush with the trunk if you're removing a whole limb.

• 5

  Remove all upper branches in the crown that are dead or diseased. It may be difficult to tell a living branch from a dead one when there are no leaves, so it may be advisable to mark dead branches during the growing season.

• 6

  Take out any branches that cross or rub against another branch or limb. For trees that should have a more lateral form, errant branches that grow vertically can be pruned out.

• 7

  Continue pruning until you have lowered the tree's crown to the desired height. It is helpful and often necessary to step back and assess your progress between cuts.