How important is it to trim broken or poorly cut limbs

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matt.jans

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I learned somewhere that having broken limbs or big stubs is just asking for disease to enter your tree. We have a few trees that have one or both of those situations. We have them on poplar, beech, and oak. Some of the breaks are a foot or two long (no dangling branch, just a rough break/splinter), and the stubs are probably 4-8 inches (where last arborist didn't cut the branch to the collar). All older trees, and the broken branches and stubs are too high for me to fix myself, so we'll have to have our arborist climb. They're willing to do it of course. Just looking for a second opinion and chance to save some money this season. I realize that there are no guarantees when it comes to infection risk, but what's your gut? Would you have these trimmed?
 
My university arborist said to try and keep pruning for structural or “looks” purposes to an inch , inch and a half branch. When you start going larger it will take longer and sometimes won’t heal properly. I have left 6and 8 inch storm damage branches 2 feet long just to keep rot and insect damage from the main trunk. Trimming back to the collar on that size branch might work and might not. I want the tree to stay as long as possible. Sort of a dealers choice.
 
My university arborist said to try and keep pruning for structural or “looks” purposes to an inch , inch and a half branch. When you start going larger it will take longer and sometimes won’t heal properly. I have left 6and 8 inch storm damage branches 2 feet long just to keep rot and insect damage from the main trunk. Trimming back to the collar on that size branch might work and might not. I want the tree to stay as long as possible. Sort of a dealers choice.
Thanks for the perspective. I guess that's one risk. If I trim back then then exposed branch is close to the trunk. I was thinking of it as wanting to trim off anything dead that offers more surface area for infection or that the tree will try to keep alive if it's not totally dead. More concerned with tree health than looks for sure. New to all this.
 
I’ve always heard that it was bad to trim branches to the trunk but I think they could be cut shorter for aesthetic purposes.
 
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