A bucket truck misfire in Salt Lake City made me rethink my whole pruning approach

Last fall I was up in a bucket on a big silver maple near Liberty Park and kept second guessing my cuts on a tight crotch. My ground guy yelled up, 'You're cutting for the tree, not for the photo,' and that just hit different. I'd always tried to make every branch look perfect from the street, but he was right, the structure matters more than the symmetry. Now I step back and ask if the tree will heal and hold weight, not if it'll win an award. Anyone else catch themselves over-grooming a canopy just because clients are watching?

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the_sarah26d ago

That ground guy gave you a real gift, I've been there too and it's tough to unlearn that habit. Good on you for stepping back and thinking about what the tree actually needs.