how to prune a branch without killing it?

I've been reading up on pruning a bit.

I've learned that you can prune off a, I'll call it a "side branch", right close to where it branches off from it's "parent" branch, just as long as you do it beyond that bulging-out mass where it branches off -- that bulging-out mass is made of protective cells that can isolate the cut from the other side of the bulge, thus protecting the tree.

Here's my question:

You have this bush with a branch that's 5 or 6 feet long, is by the side of a path or sidewalk, and sticks out into the sidewalk by, say, 2 feet or so.

The nearest "bulge" (ie safe) cut-point is way back at the trunk, four or more feet from the sidewalk edge (where it's not bothering anyone) -- so you'd like to cut it there, at the sidewalk edge.

You don't really want to cut it way back at the trunk, because you loose not only the long branch that's bothering no one, but ALSO all the branches that come off IT.

So, that's my question. What do I do?

Thanks,

David

David Combs wrote: ...

...

Depends in part on what the bush is; different things tend to regrow in different ways, but--

In general, if you take the whole branch it will fill back in again -- how long depends on how fast-growing the particular specimen is.

You can trim at the desired boundary or inside somewhat and most decorative plantings will sprout new growth at that point. The difficulty there is you now have a new generation point that's not that far removed from the limiting place.

So, in general, it's better to trim back farther and let regrow and then keep trimmed _before_ such drastic trimback is necessary. That of course, is on the same order as New Year's resolutions... :)