Fall Tree/Garden Maintenance 101 Published Oct. 30, 2007 By Jonathon Wald 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron natural resource planner FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Although you may be frustrated with the copious amount of leaves in your back yard, take heart, their fall is giving you the opportunity to reduce the amount produced next year. Indeed, fall is an excellent time to take a hard look at your trees and shrubs, and to carry out some much-needed, overdue maintenance. Before you begin, however, there are a few important guidelines that should be followed in order to produce a healthy and aesthetically pleasing tree: 1. Never top a tree. Never cut main branches back to stubs. Topping significantly reduces a trees ability to produce food and makes it more susceptible to disease and insects. 2. Use the one-third and one-fourth rules of pruning. Never remove more than one-fourth of a tree's crown in a season. Ideally, main side branches should be at least one-third smaller in diameter than the main trunk. For most deciduous trees, don't prune up from the bottom any more than one-third of the tree's total height. 3. Make a proper pruning cut. For large limbs, first make a partial cut from beneath, then make the second cut from above several inches out and allow the branch to fall. Complete the job with a cut just outside the branch collar. For smaller limbs make a sharp, clean cut just beyond a lateral bud or other branch. Overall, you should begin your pruning by removing dead and crossing branches, which are easier to identify in spring and summer. Oftentimes just doing this little bit will make a world of difference in the look and health of a tree. There are many great educational resources on trees and tree maintenance available including books in your local library, web sites such as the Arbor Day Foundation, and the Washington State University Spokane County Extension office or web site. If you have any questions feel free to contact the base natural resources program manager at 247-8207.