How to Cut a Widowmaker Tree

Prune every two to three years to keep trees healthy and safe.

Large trees bring beauty, shade and structure to home landscapes but always grow with specific considerations. They require regular food and watering, with pruning for maintenance and shaping. Trees that go without pruning become top-heavy and unstable and may develop widowmakers — unstable limbs and branches. Widowmakers are so named for their tendency to fall without warning, killing the men below. Trim these limbs out when you see them to avoid a dangerous situation.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Pruning shears
• Lopping shears
• Gloves
• Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Prune the tree as soon as you notice the problem. Ideal tree-pruning season is late winter, when the trees are dormant, though emergency pruning takes place year-round. Set out a plan of action beforehand and move all valuables from under the tree.

2. Don gloves to protect your hands. Cut foliage and smaller branches from the end of the widowmaker limb. Be careful not to pull the limb or its foliage down on yourself. This thinning process makes the final cutting easier and less dangerous.

3. Cut the main widowmaker limb into pieces if it is over 10 feet long. Cut 5- to 6-foot sections at a time for a more manageable process and make the final cut 1 to 2 inches from the main trunk. This spacing gives the tree room to heal.

4. Sprinkle cinnamon over the wound to encourage healing and watch the area for signs of infection.

Tips & Warnings

• Prune trees every two to three years to avoid dangerous widowmakers. Prune in late winter and cut any dead or damaged branches, branches with small angles, branches that grow straight up or straight down and branches that grow through the center of the tree. Thin foliage to keep branches light and allow air circulation through the tree.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension: Pruning Trees and Shrubs
• Purdue University Department of Horticulture: Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs