Prune beech tree now or in the autumn/winter?

[difflock]

Pics, I wish to eliminate the narrow fork weakness  for future form or stability.

It's the one on the left in the 3rd image 

 

Edited May 22 by difflock

[Mark J]

I'd prune it now while there's plenty of carbohydrate movement going on. 

[difflock]

Mark, 

Thank you, being aware of the likely hood of Beech adversely reacting to heavy pruning was what caused me to seek advice.

Cheers,

Marcus

[tree-fancier123]

there's also the risk of airborne fungal spores infecting fresh pruning cuts, pruning now means the tree's anti- microbial defenses have some time to block up the pipes and seal it off before most of the spores are released in autumn

[Dan Maynard]

How big is the left hand branch? Rather than remove it completely, may be appropriate to subordinate it, so maybe reduce it by half so that it grows much slower than the main stem. That way your funny split union gets swallowed up rather than turned into a huge rot pocket.

[difflock]

Can I, or is there any point in painting  the fresh cut surface with "Arbotech" or whatever that tarry paint for this job  is called, from hazy memories.

[Dan Maynard]

No point, doesn't help.

[daltontrees]

Based in these few pictures, I'd say it's do-able and if you don't it will be an isse for the tree for all its life. So on balance, I'd remove it while the tree is still young and vigorous. But' you'd need to leave zero stub and the only way to do that is a small gob immediately below the bottom of the inculsion and then effectively tear off the part to be removed. You've probably seen natureal tear-outs in beech loads of times. The key is not to touch the bark of the arch of the tear-out AT ALL with any saw, and at the same time prevent the bark below being torn too far down the stem.

Personally I have long thought that the best success with pruning comes with mimicking nature, because trees have evolved to cope with branch losses for 100s of millions of years. So imitating a natural tear-out without letting the tear go too far down the stem would be best. These's all sorts of articles and discussion about how trees manage to split their vascular system at unions without compromising strength, but the best way to see it is to tear off an inclusion fork, that is the exact point nature has desingated as the weakest point surrounded by the best regenerative tissue. Callus will be stimulated by flexure, so leaving a great big lumpy pruning stub will prevent flexure and wood development on the retained side. 

It will look a bit like the dreaded flush-cut but in most ways it's the opposite, physiologically.

Hope you follow what  am suggesting and go for it and post pics now and in the future.

 

[difflock]

Thank you for that detailed explanation Jules.

Needless to say I had meant to deal with this branch years ago, but oops. I procrastinacted.

I do not quite follow your instructions though.

Are you saying nick into the main stem just below the union to prevent the bark stripping down the stem and then pull the branch off with a winch?

To as best possible mimic storm damage.

Cheers

Marcus

Edited May 23 by difflock

[daltontrees]

As on attached pic. I doubt if it will need a winch. If anything it might close on the saw. If it starts to, then pull out and cut through the bark on either side then nibble it from the sides till it goes.