Question about learning to read a tree before I cut, a 20 minute walk changed how I prune

Lisa Flores · 2026-09-24T00:00:03.812993+00:00

For a long time I would just show up, spot the dead limbs, and start cutting, no real plan past that. Last spring a guy I sub for in Fresno had me walk the whole property with him for 20 minutes before touching a saw, and he kept asking where the tree wanted to grow, not just where I wanted to cut. Now I do that walk every time, even on small jobs, because I kept finding limbs that were only dead on one side and I was nicking live wood next to them. It adds maybe 15 minutes but I have not had to make a second trip for a missed hazard since March. Does anyone else do a full lap first, or do you just go off the client's list?

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Question about learning to read a tree before I cut, a 20 minute walk changed how I prune | Arborists - SMM Buzz