Dead branches provide an attractive harbor for burrowing insects and promote the growth of disease in your pine trees. Promptly removing these dead branches helps limit insect infestations and prevent the formation of diseases. Using the proper tools and techniques while pruning dead pine branches ensures that your tree is not damaged during the pruning process.
You can safely prune dead branches from your pine trees as soon as you find them. Pine branches that lack any green foliage are often dead and may require pruning. You can check to make sure that the branch is actually dead using a pen knife. Scrape away the outer bark of the branch and check to see if the underlying wood is dry. If the exposed inner tissue of the branch is dry, then the branch is dead.
You can effectively prune thin branches that are less than 1 inch in diameter using pruning shears or clippers. Thicker branches require a pruning saw in order to ensure that the bark around the healthy tissue of the tree remains undamaged. If you are pruning more than one dead branch, using a disinfectant on the cutting edges of the blade can prevent the transfer of diseases to healthy parts of your pine tree. Dipping your pruning tools in rubbing alcohol and allowing them to air dry is an effective method for disinfecting tools. Bleach and other house cleaners are corrosive and can damage your tools over time.
The best place to prune dead branches is on the branch next to its collar -- the raised area of wood on the trunk at the base of each branch. Branches less than 1 inch in diameter are best cut at a 45 degree angle. Larger branches require a series of three cuts. The first cut is made on the underside of the branch half-way through the diameter of the branch, 12 inches from its collar. The second cut is made one inch from the first to the same depth from the top of the branch. After the branch breaks under its own weight, a third cut is made above the collar to cleanly remove the rest of the branch.
Cutting the branch flush with the trunk of the tree can damage the healthy tissue of the trunk. Leaving dead branches or other plant matter around the tree after pruning provides a fertile breeding ground for insects and disease that can infest your tree. Removal and destruction of dead branches ensures that they cannot spread insects or disease to healthy trees.
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