Georgia Forestry Commission Offers Tree Pruning Classes for Public Works Employees

Georgia Forestry Commission Partners with Floyd County Public Works for

Free Training for Pruning Trees

On May 5, 2022, Floyd County Public Works partnered with the Georgia Forestry Commission, to host a tree pruning class for Public Works employees from the Northwest GA Branch. This free class included participants from northwestern Georgia communities including Rome, Fort Oglethorpe, and Blue Ridge.

Certified arborist Seth Hawkins conducted the class, focusing on grooming young trees and pruning for structure while they are still small and manageable. Michael Skeen, Director of Public Works for Floyd County, organized the training event and provided this recap of it. According to Skeen, “Our local government has spent a significant amount of money to design and install landscapes around multi-million-dollar facilities. But once the building and grounds are complete, we typically hand the maintenance over to someone with little professional training.”

Skeen continues, “While our employees work hard, they are primarily in their position because they are the most experienced Certified Officer working with inmate details, not for their appreciation or experience with plants and trees.”

Some communities choose to outsource this service, which does give options to contract with highly trained and competent workers, but we typically award contracts to the lowest bidder, which doesn’t always mean the best trained. It is important that someone in the local government has the education and experience to assure they are getting value for their money.

The primary focus of the class was proper pruning techniques and when to prune. However, some time was spent on risk assessment of mature trees.

Seth Hawkins, right, discussing pruning needs with participants from the NW GA Branch in Rome recently.

“While having certified arborists on staff is nice, it isn’t always practical. A simple one- or two-day class can help local governments get the basic tools to assist anyone in maintaining their tree canopy.”

While assessing a tree for pruning, the initial focus should be on limbs that are already dead, diseased, dying, or broken. In addition, if you notice any rubbing, that should be addressed too. According to Hawkins, two or more limbs rubbing in the wind are very likely to create a wound which can become an access point for pests or diseases.

Other focuses of pruning included: • Reduction Cut – Another word for reduction cut is a header cut. While it isn’t ideal to cut the central leader on a trunk or even on a limb, there are times that this needs to be done to avoid interference with a building. When this happens, the cut should be along a point that will allow the energy from the primary limb to have a chance to continue into a limb that is at least 1/3 the size of the limb that is cut. • Crown Raising Cut – Over time, as a tree grows, it is wise to monitor the tree to raise the crown when you can.

This allows for safer lawn maintenance and makes it easier to walk around the tree while cutting grass or doing an inspection. It also improves line-of-sight issues around driveways or intersections. • Crown Thinning – Thinning a crown can have several benefits, from removing decaying or broken limbs, to opening the area for better wind flow and sunlight can help a tree to thrive. Hawkins spent several minutes discussing tools for pruning. Since the class was focused on pruning for structure on small trees, most of the tools used were hand tools. We were encouraged to use pass-through loppers as opposed to tools with a single blade and an anvil – which doesn’t offer a smooth cut. When going from tree to tree, it is prudent to spray each tool with an alcohol mix to minimize the risk of spreading a disease from one tree to another.

It was noted that pruning mature trees in bucket trucks follows the same techniques, it just requires larger tools and much more emphasis on safety.

Hawkins focused next on where to make a pruning cut. Slides in the presentation, along with inspections in the field, helped to identify what is known as the Branch Bark Ridge and the Branch Collar. By cutting the limb in the collar, the tree has a much better chance to seal off the wound, minimizing access of pests or diseases. Next, he introduced the ‘3-cut method’, which focuses on removing the weight of the limb before the final cut to minimize tearing or stripping of the bark (creating a wound).

While having certified arborists on staff is nice, it isn’t always practical. A simple one- or two-day class can help local governments get the basic tools to assist anyone in maintaining their tree canopy. The Georgia Forestry Commission wants to be sure to spread the word that similar training to what was offered in Rome is available mostly free of charge throughout the State. In addition, at least in Rome, our County Extension Office partnered through the University of Georgia can offer guidance on trees and even more so on plants and soil analysis.

Both the GFC and the Extension Office offer scholarship opportunities to local governments to attend training classes, but usually do require a fee to book. Even if the employee does not receive an ISA or a Master Gardener Certificate, there is still a tremendous amount of information available just in the training class.

Simply reach out to your local rep with the GFC or Extension Office for more details. You can contact the GFC through their website at gatrees.org, or contact Skeen and he will be able to point someone in the right direction (michael.skeen@floydcountyga.org, 706-252-1112). Skeen added, “I joined the National House and Grounds Committee a few years ago as a Knowledge Team Member primarily for this same reason.”