In the winter, when the sap is down, is the best time for year to prune your garden trees and shrubs. There are many different types of pruning. Some require little more than a pair of secateurs, while others, you need something bigger like an EGO cordless chainsaw to tackle the thicker branches.
The various pruning methods
1. Pollarding
Pollarding is when you cut back the upper branches right back to the limbs of the tree. It’s appropriate for large trees like ash, elm, oak and sweet chestnut trees. The purpose of this method of pruning is to make the trees more manageable once they have become too big and overgrown.
It’s especially useful for large fruit trees like cherry trees because the fruit may become too high up to reach. As it’s a method used for large trees, you will need a cordless chainsaw to cut the large branches and limbs.
2. Thinning
Thinning is done by removing the branches and stems that cause overcrowding of the tree. The purpose of thinning is to improve air circulation, which decreases the chance of disease and rot taking hold, increasing the tree's lifespan.
To thin your garden tree or shrub, start by removing any diseased, dead, or damaged branches from the tree. Then, look for any branches that are rubbing or growing too close to other branches and remove them.
Depending on the size and thickness of the branches, you can use a battery chainsaw or something smaller like the EGO PSA1000 Pole Saw Muti-Tool attachment.
The aim is to allow space for air to circulate between all the branches, especially through the middle of the canopy. For a more in-depth guide, read our blog on how to prune apple trees. The principles are the same for any tree you wish to prune in winter.
3. Renewal pruning
Sometimes, a tree can simply become too big and old to flower or fruit properly. However, drastically cutting it back over several years encourages the tree to send out younger shoots.
This is where renewal pruning comes in. Renewal pruning, or rejuvenation pruning, is a drastic method of pruning used to rejuvenate an old tree or shrub. Because this method of pruning requires the removal of old limbs, you need something larger than pruning shears.
The EGO CSX5000 50cm battery chainsaw is an ideal tool for this. With a chain speed of 30m/s, the saw provides the power and speed of comparable petrol saws. Fast, efficient and with enough power to drive the 50cm chain effortlessly through any size trunk, branch, or log, it’s the ideal cordless chainsaw to tackle large trees in need of some renewal.
4. Coppicing
You often see coppicing in large, wooded areas. It’s a conservation technique but is also classed as pruning . Similar to pollarding, coppicing involves cutting a tree or shrub back with a battery chainsaw to ground level resulting in the regeneration of new shoots from the stump.
The drawback of this pruning technique is that only certain types of trees and shrubs are suitable, some of which are:
- Willow
- Hazel
- Hornbeam
- Beech
- Yew
- Elder
Do I need a cordless chainsaw for pruning?
The tools you need when pruning depends on the tree size and the branches you are removing. Larger trees will have larger limbs and branches that only a powerful tool like an EGO cordless chainsaw could cut through. On the other hand, Young trees will have small branches requiring only a pair of hand shears.
Sometimes, a cordless chainsaw can be too much, and regular hand shears may not be strong enough for cutting branches. A great middle-ground option is the EGO PSA1000 pole saw attachment. This powerful pole saw slices through branches efficiently, and with a 10-inch total pole length, plus the length of the EGO multi-tool power head attachment, you can cut those branches that were once out of reach.
Whichever tool you use, all EGO Power+, Professional, and Professional-X cordless garden tools come with an exceptional warranty. For example, each battery chainsaw has a 5-year warranty for domestic use and 3 years for professional use.
There’s more, too. Each cordless chainsaw can fit any size EGO battery for convenience. No matter what job you’re undertaking, it’s good to have another battery as a backup, just in case. Browse our battery range here to see the best one for your needs.