How to prune a tree so that it can heal afterwards


I’ve written previously about pruning cuts in this post but as we were gathering some hazel today I took the opportunity to make this short video.  As responsible bushcrafters it’s imperative that we do everything we can to conserve and preserve the environment that we all enjoy so much.  And that includes little things such as how we prune trees, so in this video I talk about how to prune a tree so that it can heal afterwards.

‘Heal’ is used loosely here, trees don’t actually heal themselves in the same way that animals do, rather they isolate a wound to prevent infection.  If you want to know more about this process then look up CODIT – Compartmentalisation of Decay in Trees, this link to Wikipedia is a decent starting point.

We look at how to prune a tree so that it can heal afterwards on our IOL Bushcraft Course and 5 Day Bushcraft Course.  You can see lots of photos of participants here as well as on our Facebook page.


About Gary

Lead Instructor at Jack Raven Bushcraft, teaching bushcraft, wilderness and survival skills to groups and individuals.

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