pin oak trimming

[no tree to big]

I have a big pin oak in my front yard I don't think it has ever been pruned... this year there is a lot of dead wood in it that needs to be taken out (not a health thing just some branches on the interior of the canopy that couldn't hack it) they are threatening to cars in the driveway and I don't want to wake up to a branch through my windshield... my question is is it safe to at least dead wood the tree now? I know it is best to prune in the winter but that time has passed.

 

[ATH]

The concern is oak wilt: here are some factsheets about oak wilt. By pruning now you are risking the bug finding your tree and introducing the tree to the disease. That risk is not there when the bug is not flying.

Can you wait until late summer to prune it?

 

[no tree to big]

I can wait to do the majority of the trimming till late summer or even push it off until winter but there are a few good sized branches that need to come off now, I park my camaro in the "drop zone" when I'm driving it on a more regular basis.

should I make cuts like I would on a prune or should I leave a little stub until I do the full prune when its safe. the branches in question are still solid wood so I'm not concerned about decay entering the tree at this point. I'm just thinking of a way to make it safer for the tree.

 

[ATH]

I guess I have not read/heard about cutting dead wood anywhere...but I can't imagine that cutting a completely dead branch and leaving a 12" stub is going to attract any bugs. The normal recommendation is to immediately treat the cuts with pruning paint (one of the only times that makes sense). If I thought something was going to fall in the next 2 months, I'd cut it with a long stub and spray the cut then take off the stub later in the year.