Good source for pruning education?

R

Redmech

Location
South of Kansas City MO
So I’m new to this tree climbing and pruning for healthy trees. I know a little and know there is a whole lot I don’t know. Anyone suggest books or YouTube channels that specify just on pruning.

I know a few of the big YouTube channels that are all about chainsaws and tree cutting have some tidbits here and there about tree health, but not finding very many dedicated channels on the subject.

thanks for any help.
 
I will also chime in with Ed Gilman. His book "The illustrated guide to pruning" is priceless. My video edits are a .5 out of ten but I have a few on my youtube that might show a thing or two (just ignore the removal vids.). Most of what I do is strictly structural pruning in the same way Gilman is explaining in his teachings. Channel is "Kevin Van Brunt" if interested. Lots of great info on here as well with some pretty intelligent (some ignorant) Arborists. Also good on you for being interested in pruning (not trimming) and not just another tree wrecker!
 
Ed Gilman is on the ANSI A300 panel. You should order both the ANSI A300 part 1 pruning, and the accompanying Best Management Practices Booklet.

Gilman is great for tree structure, but does not say much about aesthetic. Niwaki by Jake Hobson is my favorite source for aesthetic pruning.

Just remember that large trees with targets in range of the path of failure should be pruned for structure first, aesthetic second, unless consent is given in writing by the tree manager to do otherwise. Better yet, in your specifications, define your pruning system and objectives according to the ANSI A300 Part 1, also paying attention to Gilman's video from last year that is posted on the urban forestry today website. He talks about writing pruning specifications. It is *so* important to figure out what the client wants (which is different than what they say they want), let them know how that dovetails with what you can and/or should do, then write it clearly and concisely. If you mess that up, everything downstream will compound in awkwardness. Your climbs will suck, your debris management will suck, your relationship with the client will suck, your dog will look away when you go home afterwards, etc.
 
oldoakman said:
I will also add if you ever have the opportunity to attend a seminar or conference presentation that Dr. Gilman is speaking at, GO! He is very approachable and his presentations are superb.
Click to expand...

Just don't try to live in the same town as him, or call his office and leave voicemail like I have a few times over the years. I've never made contact with him, nor heard of any locally advertised seminar he gave - it's always over at Orlando/Jacksonville/Tampa or further away. My clients have more contact with him than I do... :D I love his content and can tell he's a great guy. It's just weird how I can't connect with him - I gave up trying. The guys words are like the Bible to me. Meanwhile, I've talked to a local climber who was supposed to follow a specification he gave someone. The climber just tossed the spec aside and convinced the person to have him do the standard low limb lop. My jaw dropped when I heard that. I'd be so excited to prune one of his specifications. :/ A couple of my clients have called him up and he's come out to help them out of pure generosity. It cracks me up that they talk homeowner-ese to him and I can't get a return phone call... I speculate that he became frustrated with the low quality/lack of responsiveness of local non-removal tree care in this area, got on a jet to travel the world and share his work with people who valued it, and just let the local professionals burn. I'm making small but steady inroads towards upping the standard of care around here because of what I have learned from Gilman and it feels good. Lots of funny stories about that too.
 
 
 
I think Guy has made much better and more practical contributions than Gilman. Gilman feels more comfortable talking about pruning young trees than mature trees, becasue he's an academic. He's not a working arborist. That is a real detriment, as there are many things you cna learn from watchin how the mature trees YOU pruned, respnd some years and decades later.
I wasn't impressed with Gilman's presentation. He was still talking about raising and cleaning crowns etc as I recall.



 
To be fair, Ed's background was researching young tree care. He has come a long way in recommending management of mature trees. I agree with a lot of his approach, though I come from the old school structural pruning of Henry Davis and Jochen Pfisterer, et al.

Here's a bunch of videos on pruning. Harris's was the most useful for me, but Slater, Tsang, Gilman, Kirkham and Kolarik were also good. Some were not so good but that's another story.

Arboricultural Association - Crown and Canopy Presentations

Book an Exhibitor plot, day or full-residential Delegate place, or promote your Business by sponsoring at our 56th Arboricultural Association Conference, University of Warwick
www.trees.org.uk www.trees.org.uk
 
Wow, a bit of hate for Gilman is a bit sad. @Daniel Do you do any pruning, or just removals? I can appreciate you getting things done with your removal tactics (some will argue but that's a whole different topic) but until we see some of your pruning I dont think it is fair to try and throw a pruning professional under the bus, let alone try to lead someone in a direction regarding pruning.

In my opinion if you follow planting studies and practices by Gilman or Jim Flott, and young tree pruning techniques by Gilman then there would be no need for Guy to come in and save the day. I have seen a bit of Guys retrenchment "stuff" and he seems spot on. He is also very educated in Arb. in general. One is an expert at apple's and one is an expert at oranges.
 
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