Sacrifice branch

A sacrifice branch is a branch that a grower deliberately allows to grow long and strong, often letting it extend well beyond the intended shape of the tree, purely because its vigorous growth pulls extra thickness into the trunk or branch below it. Once that section has thickened enough, the sacrifice branch is cut back hard or removed entirely, since it was never meant to be part of the final design.

This technique is especially useful for thickening a thin upper trunk or apex quickly, since a strong sacrifice branch grows and thickens far faster than trying to bulk up that section through general, even growth across the whole tree. Growers often let a sacrifice branch run for one or several full growing seasons before cutting it back.

Removing a sacrifice branch leaves a visible scar where it is cut, so growers usually plan the cut location and use a concave cutter to help it heal cleanly rather than leaving an obvious stub. Letting a sacrifice branch run too close to finished parts of the tree can also throw off the balance of growth elsewhere, so it needs occasional pruning even while it is being used.