Saw a guy use a pruning saw backwards on a big oak in Prospect Park last weekend and it clicked for me why my cuts were tearing

He was cutting from below first on a branch that was way too high and I finally figured out why my reduction cuts keep getting bark rips on the underside... has anyone else caught themselves doing that without realizing it?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_spencer18d ago

Did you catch a lot of wind that day too? I swear gusts mess with my cuts more than I realize until I'm staring at a bad jagged line.

joel_hall1718d ago

Wait, 50 mph gusts? You're kidding me.

the_linda17d ago

Oh man, this is such a perfect example of how we all have those little blind spots in our technique that seem obvious once someone points them out. It reminds me of how I used to grip my kitchen knife wrong for years until a friend finally showed me, and suddenly all my chopping made sense. @the_spencer you're totally right about the wind thing too, it's like the weather adds this hidden layer of difficulty that you don't even factor in until you're staring at the mess. I think it's the same with pruning where your brain just goes on autopilot and you don't question the angle or direction until it's too late. Idk, maybe it's just me but I feel like half of getting better at anything is just catching those dumb little habits you never thought to question.