Pruning trees while they are young can improve their overall appearance, will train them to grow in a way that best suits the location and may save you money when it comes to the long term care of your trees. Pruning young trees is helpful for creating a strong foundation for a tree to grow and reduces the risk of tree or branch failure caused by poor branch locations and weak branch unions. Since healthy young trees heal more rapidly from pruning cuts than older trees they are less likely to suffer any long term damaged caused by pruning cuts. Also, when trees are not trained at an early age they may require larger corrective pruning cuts that could have been avoided in the early stages of development.
Here are few things to consider when pruning young trees:
1) Inspect the canopy and remove broken, dead, dying, diseased or damaged branches.
2) Select and establish the lowest permanent branches.
3) Select and establish scaffold branches.
4) Select temporary branches (to be removed later).
5) Directional pruning away from roof and side of house.
6) Reduction and thinning of branches.