Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Whentoprune
The timing of pruning influences the vigour
of the new growth on your plant, whether it is
vigorous or moderate. Prune a flowering
shrub at the wrong time and you can remove
all your flowers. It can make your plant more
susceptible to frost or increase or decrease
your chances of disease. Pruning times for
various types of ornamental plantings are
covered in 'Ornamental plants' on page 49.
Pruning deciduous trees, including fruit
trees, can be timed differently depending on
the desired results.
Winterpruning
Generally most pruning of deciduous trees
has been done in winter when the plants are
dormant. In winter the framework of your
plant is clear. It is easy to see diseased and
damaged wood, or crossed branches that are
impeding air flow through the canopy. These
all need to be removed as they provide a
haven for disease.
Figure 2.16
A badly staked tree.
Pruning in winter will stimulate vegetative
growth. Over the growing period, in good
seasons, the tree stores carbohydrates in its
trunk and roots to allow the plant to survive
through the winter without leaves ('How
plants make their own food', see page 5).
The tree will have stored enough to keep the
summer-sized tree alive. If there is heavy
pruning in the winter (that is, it is no longer
the same sized tree it was in autumn), there
is an oversupply of stored food and plenty of
strong growth will occur the following
spring. This can be desirable to re-invigorate
and produce new wood on old or weaker
plants, but not if you wish to limit the tree's
Some nursery stock that has been grown fast
and has not developed a self-supporting
trunk will need a slender stake to keep the
wobbly stem/future trunk straight. This is
most notable in olive trees. Don't overfeed
the tree and remove the stake as soon as the
trunk is sufficiently thick as to remain
upright without support.
An unfastened stake can be useful in re-
created natural landscapes merely to mark
the spot where the tree is planted. It can
prevent mower damage when clearing long
grass. However, most trees and shrubs, if well
selected at the nursery, will need no staking.
