Do I trim or leave alone?

[rjurek]

Last year I transplanted some trees and now this year the tops are dead and I have new branches and leaves at the base. Should I trim out the dead branches or just leave them alone?

Thank
Ross

 

[whitenack]

What's the species? How old/big?

 

[Ekka]

Trim them out but a pic and species info would be good, and you need to know where to cut them.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

If you're in doubt, it won't hurt to wait until the bark gets loose. At that point, you can see exactly where to make the cuts, down to where the bark is alive and clinging to the wood.
The only advantage to cutting the dead wood out right away is cosmetic. The disadvantage is, what may look dead to a lay person, may still be living.
Tree limbs don't just instantly die. They typically die from the tips back. The tree will draw stored sugars from the dying limb to set up barriers at the attachment point to the main stem. This takes time. Once the bark is loose, the process is as far along as it needs to be for safe limb removal. Removing a dying limb before this may not kill the tree, or arguably even be bad, it's just not optimal.

 

[treeseer]

The tree will draw stored sugars from the dying limb to set up barriers at the attachment point to the main stem. This takes time. Once the bark is loose, the process is as far along as it needs to be for safe limb removal. Removing a dying limb before this may not kill the tree, or arguably even be bad, it's just not optimal.

I agree with Maas about timing on the removal of dead branches, unless the dead ones prevent the new ones from growing straight up..

Pink boards with jagged ends, that's another story...:deadhorse:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

...unless the dead ones prevent the new ones from growing straight up..

I'm not sure I follow you.

 

[treeseer]

I'm not sure I follow you.

Top of tree is dead.

New growth is coming up from below.

If dead branches are in the way of new branches growing straight up, dead branches should be trimmed.

Make sense?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I see what you're saying now, but in the short time it takes for a dead limb to start shedding its bark (a year or two), it shouldn't be much of problem for the new growth. Again the advantage is, especially for the novice, you can see right where to make the cut.