How To Keep A Tree Limb From Growing Back

Limbs are usually cut to provide air circulation within the tree, keep the branches off the ground, remove dead limbs and get rid of disease. However if you are just trying to maintain a certain height and spacing with your tree, then it might seem like trimming your tree is sometimes a constant battle. To keep from cutting the ends of the same limbs over and over, stop them from regrowing.

Step 1

Snip off the ends of the branches where you want them to be. Cut with loppers, a tree trimmer or a saw, depending on the size of the limb. Make the cut straight, not at an angle. Cutting at an angle promotes new growth, and you don't want to do that. Make the cut just before a leaf node. Normal pruning suggests that you cut just after a leaf node, so that there is vegetation at the end of the limb to help encourage new growth. Since you don't want to encourage growth, make the cut just before the leaf, removing it with the rest of the branch.

Step 2

Mix the sucker growth inhibitor with water as directed. Dip a brush in the mixture.

Step 3

Brush the cuts where you trimmed the tree with the inhibitor to discourage growth.

Step 4

Wait a few days and apply a second application of inhibitor.

Step 5

Snip off any new growth that you see developing and coat the cut with inhibitor. Eventually growth will stop.