Title: Pruning and Training Small Trees and Shrubs Dr' Laura G' Jull Dept' of Horticulture University of Wi
1Pruning and Training Small Trees and
ShrubsDr. Laura G. JullDept. of
HorticultureUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
2Plant Selection
- One of the most important decisions
- Poor plant choices become maintenance problems
- Plant the right plant in the right place
- Use adaptable plants specific to site, whether
native or not
3Urban Environment Pruning Required
4Native Landscape Natural Pruning
5 Average Life Expectancy of Street Trees
- Downtown 7 years
- City Average 32 years
- Best City Site 60 years
- Rural Site 150 years
6- U.S.D.A. Cold Hardiness Zone Map
7Invasiveness Native or Exotic
Common and tallhedge buckthorn and black locust
8Aesthetics Flowers
9Aesthetics Fruit
10Avoid Messy Fruit
Honeylocust pods Lilac capsules Black walnut
husks
11Aesthetics Bark and Branching
12Aesthetics Foliage Color
13Aesthetics Fall Color
14Growth RateFast growing species often
susceptible to limb breakage following storms
15Mature Growth Size Height and Width
Watch for power lines!
16Mature Growth Size Height and Width
17Growth of Conifers or Shrubs 5, 10, and 15 years
18Growth Form Columnar
19Growth Form Rounded and Oval
20Growth Form Pyramidal
21Growth Form Upright and Horizontal
22Growth Form Vase-Shaped and Weeping
23Growth Form Erect, Suckering
24Growth Form Mounded
25Growth Form Shrubby
26Growth Form Creeping or Trailing
27Growth Form Climbing (Vines)
28Growth Form Dwarf (Conifers)
29Prune based on clients needs but keep in mind
plant health and natural form of plant
30Objectives of Pruning
- Control size
- Direct and train growth
- Influence flowering and fruiting
- Corrective pruning
- Maintain health and appearance
- Safety hazard trees
- Rejuvenate old, overgrown plants
- Specialty pruning topiary, espalier, pleaching,
pollarding, bonsai
31Corrective Pruning Damaged Branches
32Corrective Pruning Diseased, Dead, or Dying
33Corrective Pruning Crossing Branches
34Corrective Pruning Double Leaders
35Corrective Pruning Watersprouts
36Corrective Pruning Suckers
37Corrective Pruning Root Suckers
38Corrective Pruning Narrow Crotch Angles
39Types of Pruning Tools
By-pass type of pruners
Anvil type of pruners not recommended
40Types of Pruning Tools
41Types of Pruning Tools
- Pruning saw
- Pole pruners
- Chainsaw
- Hedge shears manual or electric
- Disinfectant bleach, alcohol, Lysol to sterilize
equipment
42Types of Pruning Cuts
- Heading back
- Thinning or renewal
- Rejuvenation
- Pinching
- Deadheading
- Shearing
- Topping Not Recommended!
43Heading Back Removal of the terminal portion of
a shoot back to a larger lateral branch or bud,
reduces height, hides cut
44Heading Back
45Thinning or Renewal Completely remove 1/3 of
largest diameter branches back to the base of the
plant on a yearly basis, opens it up, allows for
new sucker growth
46Thinning or Renewal New Suckers
47Thinning or Renewal Before and After
48Rejuvenation Severely cutting back stems of
shrubs, used on suckering, fast growing
overgrown, leggy shrubs only
49Rejuvenation
50Pinching Removal of tips of shoots to allow for
lateral branches to break, increases bushiness of
shrub
51Deadheading Removal of faded flowers, avoids
fruit and seed formation, can encourage second
flush of flowers
52Shearing For formal hedges only, new growth is
sheared off to maintain tight, geometric form,
higher maintenance
53Shearing Rules Bottom of hedge should be wider
than the top of hedge
54Result of Improper Shearing Bottom shaded out
55Shearing Rules Do not continue to cut top of
sheared hedge back to the original point of last
years cut, get witches brooming, leave 1/2-1 of
previous seasons growth
56Shearing Rules Prune what you can reach
57Shearing hedges, formal or informal
58Do not shear plants that can produce showy
flowers or fruit or lack latent buds
59Example of Shearing Inappropriate Species
Forsythia
60Topping Removal of all the larger branches back
to a certain height on trees or large shrubs, not
recommended, very prone to decay
61General Responses to Pruning
- Stimulates budbreak at cut
- Removal of lateral shoot get terminal growth
- Removal of terminal shoot get lateral growth
- Response varies based on
- Growth habit, plant age, size, timing, and
severity of pruning
62Timing of Pruning
- To stimulate shoot growth prune prior to
budbreak - To retard shoot growth prune just after leaf
expansion - Never prune trees or shrubs during leaf expansion
- Dont prune at time of planting
- Prune during dry weather
63Timing of Pruning Dormant Season
- Best time to prune, see form
- No diseases or insects active
- Required for oaks and elms
- Good for summer flowering plants (produce flowers
on current seasons growth) - However, cuts off flower buds on spring flowering
plants
64Summer and Fall Flowering Plants Prune in Late
Winter
65Timing of Pruning Spring
- Quicker wound closure as bark is slipping
- Can do on summer flowering plants if done in
early spring - Dont prune until new, expanding growth has
hardened off - Worst time to prune oaks and elms due to diseases
66Timing of Pruning Early to Mid Summer
- Not a good time to prune
- Many diseases and insects active
- Retards further shoot growth
- Good for spring flowering plants (produce flowers
on previous seasons, older growth) - However, cuts off flower buds on summer flowering
plants
67Early Spring Flowering Plants Prune in Early
Summer
68Mid Spring Flowering Plants Prune in Early
Summer
69Timing of Pruning Late Summer to Early Fall
- Worst time to prune
- May stimulate late season shoot growth, wont
harden off - Slow to poor wound closure
- Many diseases and insects active
- Cuts off flower buds on spring flowering plants
- Best reserved for storm damaged plants
70Pruning Keep in Mind Fruit Display
71Pruning Keep in Mind Thorny Plants
72Pruning Trees and Larger Limbs
73Proper Pruning Cuts
- Branch collar trunk tissue that forms around the
base of a branch
- Branch bark ridge ridge of bark in a branch
crotch that marks where branch and trunk tissues
meet and can extend down tree trunk
74Avoid Stubs After Pruning
75Result of Leaving Stubs
763-Point Method of Larger Branch Removal Leave
branch collar and branch bark ridge alone
77Result of Proper Cut
78Opposite Branching Prune out double leaders
79Bleeders and Use of Wound Dressing
80Mature and Larger Trees Hire a Certified Arborist
81Avoid Pruning Around Power Lines
82Needle-leaved Evergreen Pruning
83Weeping Needle-leaved Evergreens
84Proper Pruning Cuts for Smaller Limbs
85Pruning Spring Flowering Shrubs
- Heading back or thinning cuts (if suckering), do
not shear - Prune after flowering or when dormant
86Pruning Summer or Fall Flowering Shrubs
- Heading back or thinning cuts (if suckering),
rejuvenation, do not shear - Prune in early spring or when dormant
87Pruning Shrubs Produced on a Standard
88Pruning Broad-leaved Evergreens
- Little pruning is needed, few heading back cuts
- Do not thin, often lacks latent buds on stem
- Growth from terminals
- Can shear boxwood only
89Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens
90Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens??
91Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens Pines
- Little pruning is needed
- Growth from terminals
- Prune to maintain compact habit
- Remove 1/2-2/3 of elongated candles before needle
expansion in spring - Do not thin or shear, often lacks latent buds on
stem
92Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens Spruce, Fir,
Douglas-fir
- Little pruning is needed
- Growth from terminals
- Prune tip of branch back to a lateral bud
- In early summer, remove 2/3 of an unbranched tip
to keep full
93Yew before and after heading back, hide cuts
Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens Yews, boxwood,
hemlocks, arborvitae
- Shrubs with latent buds
- Heading back or shearing in late spring or early
summer - Prune after new growth is hardened (lignified)
94Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens Junipers and
falsecypress
- Shrubs without latent buds
- Heading back cuts to lateral branch, hide cuts
- Never rejuvenate or shear, stay out of dead zone
- Prune in late spring to early summer
95Pruning Needle-leaved Evergreens Dwarf Conifers
96Unfortunate Pruning Deer Browsing
97Bad Pruning Colorado blue spruce
98Specialty Pruning Topiary
99Specialty PruningTopiary
100Specialty Structures Topiary
101Production of Topiary
102Head and Tiger Topiary
103Fountain and Horse Topiary
104Deodar Cedar Topiary
105American Sycamore4 Legged Giant
BoxelderCompound Eight
106American SycamoreEmblem and Basket Tree
107European AshSpiral Staircase
108Specialty Pruning Espalier Trees
109Specialty Pruning Pleached Lindens
110Specialty Pruning Pleached Baldcypress
111Conclusion Remember How Big Plants Can Get and
Proper Placement
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