How to prune a multi-stem tree
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Suggested lead photograph: how to prune a multi-stem tree
Multi-stem trees need only light pruning. The job is to remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, and gradually lifting the lower canopy to show off the stems. Most trees are best pruned in late winter while dormant, but cherries are left until summer, and maples and birches until late summer or autumn.
Why prune at all?
The beauty of a multi-stem tree is in its structure: several stems rising from the base and an open, layered canopy above. A little pruning keeps that structure clear, which improves airflow through the tree and lets light into the planting beneath.
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Suggested photograph: when to prune
When to prune
Most deciduous trees are best pruned in late winter, while dormant, because with the leaves gone you can see the structure clearly. This applies to trees such as Amelanchier, Parrotia, Cercis and hornbeam. Cherries and plums (Prunus) are the exception, and should be pruned in summer, in dry weather, to reduce the risk of disease. Maples and birches are pruned from late summer to early winter, because they bleed sap if cut in late winter and spring. Evergreens are pruned lightly, after the main flush of growth or after flowering.
What to remove
Start with the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased wood, which can come out at any time of year. Next come crossing or rubbing branches, which can wound the bark, and inward-growing shoots that clutter the centre. Low side shoots on the main stems can then be removed, gradually revealing clean, sculptural stems. Finally, remove suckers from the base, unless you want to keep one as an extra stem.
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Suggested photograph: how to cut
How to cut
Use clean, sharp secateurs, loppers or a pruning saw. Cut just outside the branch collar, the slightly swollen ring where a branch joins the stem, without leaving stubs or cutting flush. For larger branches, take the weight off first with an undercut and a top cut, then make the final cut.
Little and often
Never remove more than about a quarter of the canopy in one year. Step back often and look at the tree as a whole. It is easy to take more off, but impossible to put it back.
Explore our multi-stem trees
Browse our multi-stem trees, or read how multi-stem trees add sculpture to your garden.