AS 4373-1996

1 - AS 4373-1996 PRUNING OF AMENITY TREES
4 - PREFACE
4 - CONTENTS
6 - 1 SCOPE
6 - 2 APPLICATION
6 - 3 DEFINITIONS
6 - 3.1 Bark
6 - 3.2 Branch
6 - 3.3 Branch bark ridge
6 - 3.4 Branch collar
6 - 3.5 Bud
6 - 3.6 Codominant stems
6 - 3.7 Compartmentalization
6 - 3.8 Crown
6 - 3.9 Decay
6 - 3.10 Epicormic shoots
6 - 3.11 Extruded bark
6 - 3.12 Final cut
7 - 3.13 Flush cut
7 - 3.14 Included bark
7 - 3.15 Lateral
7 - 3.16 Lopping
7 - 3.17 Natural target pruning
7 - 3.18 Stem
7 - 3.19 Stem bark ridge
7 - 3.20 Topping
7 - 3.21 Tree
7 - 3.22 Tree worker
7 - 3.23 Trunk
7 - 3.24 Trunk collar
7 - 3.25 Wound
7 - 4 CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE PRUNING
7 - 5 PRUNING PROCEDURES
7 - 5.1 General
7 - 5.2 Equipment
7 - 5.3 Precutting
8 - 5.4 Final cut
8 - 5.5 Branch lowering or dropping
8 - 5.6 Hanging branches
8 - 6 FOLIAGE DISTRIBUTION
8 - 6.1 General
8 - 6.2 Growth habit
8 - 6.3 Amount removed
8 - 6.4 Wound size
8 - 6.5 Weight distribution
8 - 6.6 Crown distribution
11 - 7 PRUNING TYPES AND CLASSES
11 - 8 CROWN MAINTENANCE
11 - 8.1 General
11 - 8.2 Thinning
11 - 8.3 Deadwooding
11 - 8.4 Selective pruning
11 - 8.5 Formative pruning of young trees
12 - 9 CROWN MODIFICATION
12 - 9.1 Reduction pruning
12 - 9.2 Crown lifting
12 - 9.3 Pollarding (P)
13 - 9.4 Remedial pruning
13 - 9.5 Line clearance
14 - 10 LOPPING AND TOPPING

Sets out guidelines for pruning of amenity trees. It classifies pruning into two types: crown maintenance which includes the classes of general, formative, selective, deadwooding and thinning and crown modification which includes the classes of reduction, crown lifting, pollarding, remedial and line clearance. It does not include sculptural forms of pruning such as topiary nor does it include safety of the tree worker, wildlife habitat or practices relating to root pruning, chemical pruning, timber, foliage, fruit or flower production.

This Standard describes methods for pruning of trees and encourages correct and uniform practices. It is intended for use on amenity trees and includes formative pruning, hazard reduction, selective pruning and thinning. It does not include practices related to timber, foliage, fruit and flower production, root pruning, chemical pruning nor to sculptural forms of pruning such as topiary hedging and pleaching. The Standard also excludes information on wildlife habitat and safety of the tree worker.

First published as AS 4373-1996.