#3: How to Make a Pruning Cut

#1 - Don't Top Trees!
#2 - 1/3 and 1/4 Rules of Pruning
#3 - How to Make a Pruning Cut
#4 - The Value of Mulch
#5 - Where Roots Really Grow
#6 - Girdling Kills Trees
#7 - How to Plant a Containerized Tree
#8 - How to Plant a Bare-root Tree
#9 - Your Street Trees May Be City Trees

Large Limbs:

A: Make a partial cut from beneath.

B: Make a second cut from above several inches out and allow the limb to fall.

C: Complete the job with a final cut just outside the branch collar.

Small Branches:

Make a sharp clean cut, just beyond a lateral bud or other branch.

No shade tree? Blame not the sun but yourself.
—Chinese Proverb