Dead branch removal

A collar of trunk wood begins to grow out onto a dead branch that remains on the tree. Be sure not to cut into this collar. Cutting into the collar amounts to cutting into the trunk. Removing dead branches is good for the health of trees. Photos

Cut all dead branch tissue from the tree, but do not injure the collar. If the branch is small or severely decayed, you might be able to simply break the dead branch from the tree. This often allows you to remove more of the dead tissue inside the edge of the collar. Do not break the dead branch if this could injure the collar.