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Changed my mind on flush cuts after seeing a 3 year old scar close up
I always thought flush cuts were the gold standard and I would argue with anyone who said different. Then a buddy in Fresno showed me two pruning wounds on the same oak, one flush cut and one proper branch collar cut, both done 3 years back. The flush cut had a ring of dead wood and rot creeping in, maybe 2 inches around it, while the collar cut sealed over clean. Seeing them side by side on the same tree was what did it for me. Anyone got a go to rule for finding the collar on species with less obvious branch bark ridges?
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juliashah26d ago
On a lot of my softwoods and younger hardwoods, the collar is way less obvious, so I started running my hand up the branch until I feel that little raised swell or wrinkle where it meets the trunk. On maples and elms I wait for that slight bump before I cut, and if it's really flat I'll cheat the cut out an inch or so rather than risk the flush cut. The worst mistake I made early on was on a redbud, cut it flush because it looked "clean" and by year two it had a hollow spot you could stick your thumb into. Now I go by feel more than by sight. Take your time, the extra inch is worth a lot more down the road.
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