pruning low branches of young honey locust - Ask Extension
I have a young honey locust tree. I planted it 5 years ago and it was probably a few years old from the nursery. It has been slow growing, but seems g...
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pruning low branches of young honey locust #463026
Asked June 17, 2018, 12:46 PM EDT
I have a young honey locust tree. I planted it 5 years ago and it was probably a few years old from the nursery. It has been slow growing, but seems generally healthy. It has a few branches that are only 1 - 2 feet off the ground. We don't need to walk right under it usually, but the lower branches interfere with the flowers below and make it look more like a bush than a tree. Can I trim the lower branches to make it look better? Will those branches get higher off the ground as the tree grows up or does it not work like that? Is it OK to shape it like I want it now and assume it will grow new branches in those same general directions over time?
Jefferson County Colorado
Expert Response
Yes, you can trim off the lower branches to make the tree look better. Most likely those are not permanent branches anyway, so it will not hurt to remove them. The branches will not get higher off the ground as the tree grows. The tree will increase in diameter as it grows, but it grows from the top, so lower branches never get higher. Yes you can shape the tree like you want. Here is a link to pruning young trees. http://cmg.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/613.pdf
