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Pruning
Any
Questions?
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Q. I
have a 10-year old Robinia (pseudoacacia) which was pruned hard by professionals
earlier this year as it had grown more than we wanted and was overhanging a
neighbors garden and touching their upstairs window. We enjoy its lovely yellow
leaves and don't want it too small (or too large).
Now that more shoots have grown after the pruning, we would like to keep it
to a manageable size and wish to know which is the correct month to lop off the
tops of these shoots and shape the tree, please?
I believe that we may have to prune every year to keep it from growing to
full height of about 50 feet. Am I right?
A. Your Robinia will probably
react to the pruning with quite vigorous vertical growth from around the cuts.
The trick is to stop this new growth from developing, so rub out the buds or cut
the shoots if that bit older as soon as you can. Mid to late summer is best for
pruning Robinias, but new growths can be removed as soon as you see them.
You need to stop the tree from developing any new substantial leaders which
it may do, these will compete with the original leader and may result in a
misshapen and structurally weak tree. Narrow crotch angles are weak in these
trees.
Also, it may respond to pruning by developing suckers - shoots that grow
upwards from the roots a little distance from the main trunk. Again these should
be removed as soon as possible or they will compete.
Robinias don't really respond well to pruning I'm afraid, their natural
vigour results in them trying to keep growing upwards and end up being an odd
shape. I think if I were you, and you have the room, plant another some distance
away from the house and by the time the new one has established itself, the
original may have reached the point where sadly the felling axe may be needed.
Q. I
have a two-year old grapevine in my greenhouse. I
know that I should take off any grapes whilst still young this year, but how do
I prune it? When I bought it, someone talked about cutting off leaves after a
certain joint, but that person is no longer available for advice. Grateful for
any information.
A. You need to tie-in the leading
shoot so that your vine develops a good strong leader, allow it to grow
unchecked. Any laterals that grow from this should be pinched back to five or
six leaves and their side-shoots to one leaf.
In the winter cut the leader back by a half to two thirds of total length
leaving only brown ripened wood. Laterals should be cut back to a single bud if
it looks strong, to two buds if the lateral bud does not look so strong.
Q. What
is the best time of the year to prune trees? I have Malus and Prunus
- I know that one of the Prunus is called Oku-miyako but not sure of the others.
Many thanks.
A. There is no one time of the
year to prune trees in general, it depends on the type of tree. Some respond
better to dormant season pruning, others to pruning in the active growing
seasons.
Ornamental cherries are best pruned in early to mid summer, but they don't
take too kindly to it. In general, don't prune unless you have to, to remove
dead or dying wood or where branches are rubbing each other or on something
else. Pruning is best carried out early in a Prunus' life. They are difficult to
prune successfully without it being obvious where the cuts have been made so
detracting from the natural shape of the tree.
Malus are best pruned from autumn to early spring before active growth
begins, so if are going to prune a Malus, do so as soon as possible. They are
similar to the Prunus above in that they don't really like it, though are
perhaps not quite so fussy as cherries. They don't respond well to hard pruning
which often leads to further die-back from the pruned point.
Pruning Tips
Pruning
is a vital part of plant and tree care. This task can be
confusing so we developed the following guide to help you prune
properly.
Three basic tools suffice for
most pruning jobs: shears,
loppers, and a pruning saw. Keep them sharp for clean
cuts; disinfect after pruning diseased material.
1. When Do Roses
Need To Be Pruned?
Prune in winter or
early spring when plants are still dormant. Prune plants to
maintain symmetrical bushes and to encourage strong new growth.
Cut back all previous years growth as much as one-third its
length. Remove branches that cross through center and remove
plants understock. Also prune weak and dead stems as needed.
This will also encourage strong new growth.
2. When Do Crepe Myrtles Need To Be Pruned?
The best time to
prune crepe myrtles is in February. Prune out twiggy stems and
any dead wood. Thin out crossing or crowding branches in the
plants center. If tree form, prune lower branches. Prune top to
maintain symmetry. Each year after flowering, cut 12 to 18
inches off the tips of branches that have bloomed.
3. When Do Hollies Need To Be Pruned?
Prune in winter or
early spring mostly to shape plants. Cut back wayward branches
and prune out weak unproductive dead stems as needed.
4. When Do Butterfly Bushes Need To Be Pruned?
Butterfly bushes
bloom in summer on new spring growth. They can be pruned in late
winter or early spring. By pruning old blooms you will encourage
new flowers. Also prune out old dead and unproductive branches.
5. When Do Hydrangeas Need To Be Pruned?
Hydrangeas fall into
two groups. Some you prune in early spring and others after the
flowers fade.
- Early Spring Pruning
Hydrangeas bloom on new growth. These plants are
Climbing Hydrangea, Annabelle, Grandiflora, and PeeGees.
- After-Bloom Pruning
Hydrangeas bloom on last years stems. These include
Bigleaf Hydrangeas, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, Lacecaps,
SummerBeauty, and Nikko Blue. Pruning should be done when
the flower has faded. Cut back the flowering stems to the
strongest pair of new shoots. As plants mature, begin to
thin out the oldest woody stems. Remove crowded crossing,
broken, or dead branches.
6. When Do Clematis Need To Be Pruned?
Clematis can be put
in three categories: Spring-flowering, summer-flowering , and
twice-flowering.
- Spring-blooming
Clematis produce flowers on stems that grew during the
previous year. Prune when flowers are done blooming. Cut
back the flowers that are now dead. Prune out any old dead
stems as well.
- Summer-blooming
Plants bloom on new growth produced in the spring. Cut
back stems before new growth begins. Late autumn or early
spring is a good time to prune. Cut back about 12 inches of
old growth. Each year the vine will grow larger and
stronger.
- Twice-blooming
Plants first bloom in spring on stems produced the
previous year. Late summer or fall will be the next bloom
time. In late fall or very early spring, prune lightly to
thin the stems. After the spring bloom, prune more heavily
for more healthy stems to develop for the next bloom. After
a second bloom, prune old flowers away.
7. When Do Fruit Trees Need To Be Pruned?
The most common
fruit trees are apple, peach, pear and cherry.
- Apple Trees
Apple trees should be pruned in late winter or early
spring before new growth starts. Always remove all suckers
(summer is a great time). Also remove dead and other
unproductive branches as needed.
- Peach Trees
Peach trees are fast growing and need to be pruned in
winter. Without pruning the peaches will grow farther away
from the tree's center. This will put great strain on the
branches, causing them to break. In winter, thin out
upward-growing branches that cross in tree's center.
- Pear Trees
Prune back in early spring. Always prune dead and
unproductive branches as needed.
- Cherry Trees
Prune in winter. Prune out branches that cross in center
and dead unproductive branches as needed.
8. When Do Azaleas and Rhododendrons Need To Be Pruned?
They can be pruned
in winter or early spring. However pruning at this time will
prevent plants from producing many blooms. The best time to
prune azaleas and rhododendrons is just after their blooming
period in spring. If you prune at this time , no additional
pruning will be necessary.
9 When Do Junipers Need To Be Pruned?
Junipers need very minimal
pruning. They should be pruned to correct their shape, to accent
their form, or to limit their size. This should be done during
the juniper's growing stages in mid-summer.
10. When Do Flowering Trees Need To Be Pruned?
Flowering trees should be pruned
after they have finished blooming. Prune as little as possible.
Dead branches, branches that cross in the center, and branches
that are unproductive should be pruned out.
Three basic tools suffice for
most pruning jobs: shears,
loppers, and a pruning saw. Keep them sharp for clean
cuts; disinfect after pruning diseased material. 
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