Pruning a liquidinbar tree that has grown too large & is trailing on the ground

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    joycejoyce
    Greenhorn
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    My liquidinbar tree is down on the ground with large branches. Is it O.K. to remove them or will it make the tree unsafe, i:e: top heavy.

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    gerrygoluckyGerrygolucky
    Expert gardener
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    Hi Joyce it would be nice to have a picture or two to really get a feel of the situation, I’m guessing the tree has a few side branches that have grown to be massive, and possibly drop down to the ground, am I right?

    I think that as long as you remove similar-sized branches all around the tree you shouldn’t have any problems. For instance, don’t just cut one on the left side without cutting another similar one on the right side. Cutting properly, without lacerating the bark or creating wounds, is important.

    If you balance what is removed, it shouldn’t become “top-heavy”, quite the opposite actually: wind resistance will increase since there’s less branches for the wind to blow up against, and the root system could already cope with existing stresses so having less stress won’t be a problem at all. The only risk is in the cutting, meaning you shouldn’t create a weak spot in the trunk because of a botched cut.

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