tree trimming

[glenn57]

need advice. i have a black walnut tree that needs to have a branch cut off. tree is 25 plus years old and stands about 40 ft high. when is the best time to cut this branch off? branch is 4 inches in diameter. any advice will be helpful. i know they can be a finicky tree.

[sparcebag]

Now is best before insects and spores are in the air.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Get out there pretty quick. Tree is about as dormant as it's going to get, and there's not TOO much snow on the ground, so it would be easier cleanup.

[fishingforester]

 Originally Posted By: glenn57

...when is the best time to cut this branch off?...

When the saw is sharp

Seriously though, when the tree is dormant is the best time. You're fine from now through ~mid-April. Honestly, removal of just a single 4" limb in a tree that age is not going to have a significant effect on the tree's health. One thing to avoid is the removal of very much live material from bud break through mid- to late summer. Leaves and twig growth are formed by tapping into much of the stored energy in the root system. By pruning this growth off early in the season, we don't allow it to pay back the loan by photosynthesizing.

[glenn57]

branch down, thanks.