How do you prune a chestnut tree?

It is too large for our yard. Can it be pruned way back or should we only lightly prune it

How do you prune a chestnut tree?
Young trees and mature trees are pruned differently. The best time to prune is when trees are dormant during the winter months. Never remove more than 25% of live foliage from a tree during a year. You can remove as much dead wood as you want. Light pruning (less than 10%) can be done at any time of the year but try to avoid pruning when the buds and leaves are growing in the spring and when the leaves are falling off in the fall.



To improve the health and vigor of the tree remove as little as possible. Focus on removing dead, cracked, and diseased branches first. Then remove any major crossing branches and branches that rub on each other. If your tree is young you can prune to provide sufficient space between branches and to provide a single, central leader. This is called structural pruning. Every cut should be made at a lateral (side branch) or all the way back to the trunk of the tree.



Do not leave stubs and do not make flush cuts. See here for additional information: http://www.treesaregood.com/
Reply:A general rule that I was told is to never prune off more than 25% of the above ground plant (tree) because cutting more than that will compromise the root system. It won't be able to take in enough sunlight to do the photosynthesis thing to feed itself. So if you prune it "way back" you could put it into shock, compromise it's health and make it more susceptible to rot and disease. I wish I had a chestnut tree.