Structural Pruning

Description

A Guide for the Green Industry

Structural pruning is pruning to develop a strong trunk and branch framework to support the tree crown.  When the structure is strong it is less likely that the tree will fail.  The primary benefits of structural pruning are:

Reduce risk of damage or injury from tree failure.

Prolonging tree life and the environmental, ecological, and social benefits trees provide; and

Reducing the costs of pruning and tree repair work over the life of the tree.

Edward F. Gilman, Brian Kempf, Nelda Matheny, Jim Clark