Shigo didn't hesitate to frame his advice in economic terms, either, or to.

Apr 16, Shigo pioneered the now accepted way to prune a tree using three branch cuts.

He insisted that pruning cuts should be made so that only branch tissue is removed and stem or trunk tissue is left undamaged. At the point where the branch attaches to the stem, branch and stem tissues remain separate and react to a cut treeclear.barted Reading Time: 4 mins.

Dr. Shigo calls trees obligatory organisms. In other words, trees must get bigger every year, and when they do not they will soon die. Select trees that are appropriate for your site and if you are not sure what that is, GET HELP from a professional. Getting off on the right foot is critical in planting your new tree. Flush cuts.

When you flush cut, (cut too close to the parent stem), you destroy a tree’s major defense. Tree Pruning Basics by Dr. Alex Shigo teaches that correct pruning leads to healthy, beautiful and safe trees. Correct pruning begins with an understanding of branch anatomy. Through photos and diagrams from inside the tree and out, you will learn proper pruning cuts and care for many trees. Structural pruning may begin the second or third year after planting and every other year thereafter until about year After that, pruning every 5 to 7 years should reduce any major structural problems.

Remove crossing, competing, broken, dead, vertical, downward-growing or sucker branches each time you prune. Compartmentalization Of Decay In Trees (CODIT) is terminology coined by Dr. Alex Shigo for describing the internal process trees (most woody plants) go through when a wound occurs. Compartmentalization refers to the process a tree undergoes in order to wall off a wounded area to resist the spread of decay (or disease) through the tree.

Proper pruning assists the natural processes of CODIT providing maximum protection to trees.