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Finally pruned the tree
At last I have pruned the crab-apple tree. It was a bit breezier outside than I would have liked but it was sunny and not freezing and this late in the season I should take what chances I can get. (Update: Shortly after I had finished there was hail then rain.) The poor thing had already started to bud but because of my stressors last year it had already missed a year's pruning and was getting out of control.
Inconveniently the tree is located in the corner of the lot. I do not want it to be overly asymmetrical but I also do not want it much encroaching over the property line. The tree fills that corner up to the fence so I cannot erect a step-ladder to reach it from all directions. I also had to trade off the fact that I had a couple of years' worth of trimming back to do with that I wanted to leave the tree with at least some of its new growth.
As always I expect that one would judge my pruning efforts to have been decidedly mediocre yet adequate. I consider that the important thing is to keep the tree alive and approximately in control, anything beyond that is gravy.
Having brought the gardening gloves but not donned them, at one point I managed to bring a saw tooth into my hand which left made a small bloody hole. I have spray iodine that nobody else uses so I rinsed out the wound, sprayed it then applied a bandage to protect it. I expect it to be fine; I am quite robust.
The yard is now littered with severed tree branches. There is less urgency there; when I feel like it I can wander around gathering them then cut them down to manageable pieces.
Inconveniently the tree is located in the corner of the lot. I do not want it to be overly asymmetrical but I also do not want it much encroaching over the property line. The tree fills that corner up to the fence so I cannot erect a step-ladder to reach it from all directions. I also had to trade off the fact that I had a couple of years' worth of trimming back to do with that I wanted to leave the tree with at least some of its new growth.
As always I expect that one would judge my pruning efforts to have been decidedly mediocre yet adequate. I consider that the important thing is to keep the tree alive and approximately in control, anything beyond that is gravy.
Having brought the gardening gloves but not donned them, at one point I managed to bring a saw tooth into my hand which left made a small bloody hole. I have spray iodine that nobody else uses so I rinsed out the wound, sprayed it then applied a bandage to protect it. I expect it to be fine; I am quite robust.
The yard is now littered with severed tree branches. There is less urgency there; when I feel like it I can wander around gathering them then cut them down to manageable pieces.