Pruning Multi Page

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Flemings Nurseries Pty LtdVictoria, Australia

DISCLAIMER The in ormation contained herein is not a de nitive or exhaustive work and is not intended to be advice. It is provided and is intended or use only as a guide.Anyone using this guide should note care ully that growth and per ormance is dependent on a wide range o conditions beyond our control. We make noguarantee as to the suitability o this in ormation or any speci c use nor do we recommend pruning or any system o pruning in pre erence to another. Wedo not claim to be nor are we an authority on pruning o ruit and deciduous trees. Accordingly, we recommend that you obtain independent expert advicebe ore you make any decisions in reliance on the in ormation contained within this guide. All in ormation in this guide is believed to be correct at the timeo publication and is the result o private inquiries and experiences and is given in good aith. All in ormation is subject to change without notice. We do notaccept and disclaim any responsibility or any harm, loss or damage caused by or resulting rom your use o or reliance on any o the in ormation or imagescontained in this guide.E.&O.E.

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Pruning fruit, ornamentaland flowering treesa basic guide for home gardeners

Contents

Copyright Fleming's Nurseries Pty Ltd


2/23

Contents

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Introduction Winter Pruning vs. Summer Pruning - Winter Pruning

- Summer Pruning

- How much is too much?

Tree basics- Terminology explainedA ter planting a bare-rooted treeFramework pruning and detail pruning- Framework pruning or a vase-shape tree

- Second and subsequent years ramework pruning

- Pruning a central leader tree

- When to prune ruit trees

- How high will the tree grow?

Learning to prune

- Pruning speci c ruit tree types

Almonds

- Almond renewal system

Apricots- Managing apricot sprigs

Apples and Pears

- Spur maintenance

Cherries

Plums Peaches and Nectarines

Deciduous owering trees

- When to prune a owering tree

- Pollarding owering trees

Deciduous ornamental trees - Pollarding deciduous ornamental trees - Replacing a damaged central leader

Weeping Trees

- Pruning weepers

- Pruning a newly planted weeper

Weeping Birch

Other ruit and nut types

Home

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Whether to prune a ruiting, owering orornamental tree or not is largely a matter o choice.

Fruit trees which have never been pruned canstill produce ruit annually. Unpruned ruit treeswill provide enough crop o adequate size or

the needs o the average household. However,pruning is advisable to improve the quality o

ruit and to establish a strong ramework o branches to resist breaking when heavily ladenwith ruit.

Some advantages o pruning ruit trees are:

Young trees will establish a strong framework o branches. Unpruned, a tree o ten makeslanky, spindly growth which can break easilywhen carrying a heavy crop.

Spindly growth can result in poor fruit.

Excess fruiting wood is eliminated resulting inlarger ruit on the remaining branches.

Fruit is easier to harvest.

Maintains the tree at a manageable height.

Opens up the tree for better air circulation.

Opens up the centre of the tree to sunshine.Ripening ruit becomes more colour ul andsunlight develops better ruit avour byincreasing the natural ruit sugars.

Spraying a small tree is easier and cheaper(and better or the environment).

Some fruit types such as peaches andnectarines ruit on the previous years woodonly (one-year-old wood). On an unprunedtree ruit is produced on weaker branch tips.Winter pruning encourages new shoots,ensuring new ruiting wood or the ollowingyear closer to the ramework branches.

The tree is much tidier and takes up less space

in the garden.One advantage o not pruning is that ruit maybe produced earlier in the li e o the tree. Thisapplies more so to apples and pears as thesetrees need at least two-year-old wood and older

or ruit production.

Introduction

This well pruned peach tree clearly demonstrates a strong rame-work o branches.

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4/23

Winter Pruning vs. Summer Pruning

Winter Pruning

In general winter pruning promotes vigorousgrowth and the harder the tree is pruned inwinter the more vigorously it will grow inspring.

Winter is the time to prune when you wantto train a tree to a par ticular shape or want toencourage substantial growth.

We recommend that all newly planted dormanttrees be pruned during winter until the tree hasachieved the desired height and shape; a terthat, winter pruning is mostly used or detailedpruning ie. pruning the spurs and laterals or

ruit.

Summer Pruning

In general, summer pruning retards growth. The ramework branches are maintained andany new, vigorous, overcrowding branchesare removed rom the centre. The new growththat ollows is tamed and much less vigorous

than growth ollowing winter pruning. Oncea system o summer pruning is established,very little winter pruning o the ramework isrequired.

How much is too much?

By learning where the ruit is produced ona tree and ollowing some simple steps orestablishing a strong ramework o branches,pruning is much easier than you think.

Dont be rightened to have a go at pruningyour trees. At times being too gentle cannegate the results o your eforts. I in doubtcut back a little bit harder rather than so ter. The prospect o pruning can be daunting butyou will do your trees more good than harmby pruning them. A little practice (and a ewmistakes) will make the trees in your gardensomething you can thoroughly enjoy and betruly proud o .

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Terminology explained

A lateral can be described as being a one-year-old short branch. There is little diferencebetween a lateral and a young branch butgenerally a lateral is weaker than a branchbecause it grows on a more horizontal plane.

This results in slower growth because the sapow is decreased. A young branch growing

vertically becomes stronger due to anunrestricted sap ow.

Healthy laterals are most important as this iswhere the tree settles down to produce ruit.Any lateral has the potential to become abranch.

Feathers are the same as laterals (but areusually smaller) and are produced reely onyoung peaches, nectarines, almonds and plumtrees.

The ollowing diagrams will help to make our

pruning explanation clearer.

Tree basics

Feathers grow rommain branches.

Trunk

Soil line

Terminal bud

LeaderBranch leader

Lateral

BudA new branch leadershould grow rom anybud i the branch ispruned back to a bud.

Bud or gra t unionUsually about 100 mmabove the soil line. The gra t-union in some

ruit types may be 450mm above the soil line.

Framework branch

Above: Prune to an out-ward acing bud, but donot leave too much woodabove the bud.

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6/23

After planting a bare-rooted tree

A tree planted during winter should be prunedimmediately it is planted. This rst pruningis really quite simple and is the rst stage insetting up a strong ramework o branches toenable the mature tree to carry a heavy cropload.

Trees ofered or sale to the home gardener aremostly trained to a shape that is the beginningo a vase shaped tree. The young tree usuallyhas two or three branches (o ten our or ve),which leave the trunk at approximately thesame height.

Some trees are trained with a central leaderwhere the side branches extend rom the onemain stem.

Le t: A vase-shape bare-rooted tree be ore planting.Right: The same tree pruned or the irst time and the roots trimmed or planting.

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7/23

Framework pruning and detail pruning

Pruning can be divided into two parts

Framework pruning is exactly that;creating and maintaining a rame o branches designed to carry a heavy crop

load. Framework pruning is divided intotwo categories vase-shaped and central leader.

Detail pruning is pruning the actual

ruiting areas o the tree and is discussedin detail in the sections on each ruitingtype. This pruning is o ten carried out inconjunction with ramework pruning.

Framework pruning or a vase-shape tree

The aim here is to establish a strong ramework o branches in the shape o a V or vase.

The advantages o the vase shape are that thecentre o the tree is open, allowing the middleo the tree to receive adequate sunlight and aircirculation.The rst pruning should start when the tree isplanted, and or this exercise, we assume thetree is dormant and bare-rooted.

The branches on the young tree should beshortened back to an outward- acing budapproximately 300mm rom the trunk, leaving abasic rame o stout, main branches.

Very o ten a peach, nectarine, almond or plum

tree will have a lot o tiny branches or eatherscoming away rom the main branches. Treatthe eathers as a bud, cutting the branch back to one that is acing outwards, then nding anoutside bud on the eather, shorten back tothat bud. This

may well be just a ew centimetres rom thebranch, this is not a problem. This bud (on the eather) can then grow out as the new branchleader.

In this rst year remove all eathers growing inthe centre o the tree and shorten all others.

In ollowing years, the aim is to extend theramework o branches ( rom the original two,

three or our to about 10 to 12) by multiplyingthem and to keep the ruit-producing wood(laterals and spurs) close to the strong

ramework branches.

Continued next page ...

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Second and subsequent years ramework pruning

Firstly, clean up around the outside and lowerpart o the tree, keeping the lower area ree o branches to make lawn mowing easier and tostop any ruit rom coming into contact with the

ground.Secondly, remove any strong branches growinginto the centre of the tree. You can also cut outany strong growing branch that is not whereyou want it to be, or instance i its lower that anexisting branch and will be shaded out.

During the rst growing season each branchshould have sent out some side branches (orlaterals). Select two o the stronger, perhapshigher and outward-growing branches oneach o the original branches to be part o thecontinuing ramework.

Consider the direction in which each is headed,dont leave in a branch that has the potential tocrowd out or cross over another branch.

It may be that you choose only one branch to lla space to the side or in a crowded area chooseto leave just the original branch to continue itsoriginal direction.

Prune of the or iginal branch just above wherethe highest o the two selected branches are

growing out and then prune both the selectedside branches back to an outward acing bud.

There will now be two new ramework branchesgrowing rom each previous ramework branch,each lling a space in the widening circle o branches (see diagram).

At this stage do not prune of any laterals asthis is your ruit-bearing wood, unless they aregrowing straight up and strongly into the centreo the tree. Detailed pruning should be carriedout a ter you have dealt with the rame.

Continue orming the ramework branches overthe next ew years until you eel there is a goodeven spacing o branches.

Planting time Form basic ramework

Second year pruning Extend basic ramework.Encourage two new branches to lead into side spaces.Third year pruning Extend basic ramework.Encourage two new branches to lead again into sidespaces.Fourth year I desired height is not yet obtained, repeatthird year, but only ill spaces, dont overlap.

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9/23

Pruning a central leader tree

Central leader pruning is usually applied toapples and pears.

Begin by working up the trunk, starting at thelowest branch. Prune this and the next ve o the stronger branches to approximately 200mmin length, selecting branches that will resultin radial pattern around the central leader.Imagine a set o almost horizontal branches

orming a layer o scafold branches. Continueup the central leader, pruning back all theunwanted branches to the trunk. Prune thecentral leader of at about one metre rom theground. As new growth appears at the top o the central leader, it will usually grow straightupwards.

The aim or the ollowing years is to create aramework o layers o horizontal branches with

a clear area o trunk or approximately 400 mmbetween each layer, up to a height o about2.5 metres with the upper layers progressivelynarrower than the lower layers.

The side branches will extend urther outwith a tendency to upward growth and somelaterals will be produced on them. At this stagethese side branches should be shortened toencourage thickening-up and the lateralstipped.

Fruit buds will be produced on the laterals theollowing year. In subsequent years gradually

shorten the laterals until they become spurs(in the case o apples and pears). I they arele t to grow too long, they have the potentialto produce too much ruit and may break of.Do not allow any strong upward growth romthe horizontal scafold branching. Considerweighing or tying down any lateral that wantsto grow upwards down to a more horizontal

plane (to slow the growth down).As with a vase-shaped tree, the intention isto keep the ruit as close to the ramework branches as possible.

Le t: A central leader tree.Apples are o ten trained inthis manner. Note that thetree has a straight centraltrunk with numerous sidebranches.

Right: Aimto establisha sca oldo layers o branchesprogres-sively up thetrunk.

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Cental leader trees are al-ways narrower at the top tolet light into the lower parto the tree.

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10/23

When to prune ruit trees

The only ruit trees which require a de nedpruning period are apricots which should bepruned very early in the dormant season assoon as the leaves turn yellow, around lateMarch early April. Apricots can pick up a ungaldisease very easily and it is advisable to prunewhen the sap ow has stopped completely. I

you miss the correct pruning time or apricotsyou can still prune through to late June, but tryto read the weather to have three or our ne(pre erably windy) days so the cuts will havetime to dry out. Winter pruning time or other

ruit trees is rom autumn, when the tree isbeginning to lose its leaves, through to spring,as the owers are beginning to open.

Summer pruning can be carried out be ore ora ter harvest. Note that overpruning can lead tosunburn damage on exposed branches.Winter pruning promotes vigorous growth;Summer pruning inhibits growth.

How high will the tree grow?

You should only allow the tree to grow as highas you want it to grow. We are sure you wontwant to use a ladder to pick the ruit, so identi yanything that is growing higher than about 2.5metres and simply cut it of.

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11/23

Learning to prune

There are many ways o pruning ruit trees, andpossibly the only consistency is that no twoorchardists will prune a tree in exactly the samemanner, but they will ollow the same basicrules or each particular tree type.

For the home gardener, trial and error is the

best way way to learn how to prune. It may takethree or our years be ore you become adept atpruning adequately i not totally success ully.

I you are unsure as to where the ruit tree isgoing to ower then wait until the tree is inbloom be ore pruning (except apricots). Theexperience gained by observing where the

owers are produced will help you understandsome o the ollowing.

The thought o pruning trees can be dauntingand con using, but it is not necessary to beoverly concerned, a mistake will soon becovered by new seasons growth.

Fruit trees are hardy and can withstand severepruning. It is unlikely that pruning a ruit treewill damage it.

Pruning speci c ruit tree types

In the ollowing pages we discuss detailedpruning. Pruning methods difer slightly orspeci c tree types because o the type o woodon which ruit is borne. Diferent ruit typesvariously bear on spurs, sprigs or laterals; or on

rst year, second year and older wood. The next ew pages list alphabetically the major

ruit tree types and their speci c pruning needs.

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12/23

Almonds ruit on semi-permanent spurs and sprigs.

Always prune an almond when it is planted duringthe dormant season.

Almond renewal system

Almonds are particularly easy to prune. A terestablishing the ramework o branches ( rom abouttree age o six years) and keeping the centre ree

rom branches, the only pruning needed or almondsis to remove one o the ramework branches each

year. This allows new wood into the tree to replacethe ramework branch. Prune the top o the higherbranches to keep the height down to a manageable2.5 metres.

Almonds

Above: Spent almond spur

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13/23

Apricots ruit on one-year-old sprigs and one-year-old branches

Apricots are prone to bacterial canker andshould be pruned during late autumn in ne,dry and pre erably windy conditions to avoidthe risk o in ection entering through the

pruning cuts. At this time o year the sap hasstopped owing and there is less risk to the tree.

When pruning apricots at winter planting time,protect the cuts with a wound sealer. This initialpruning is the only time apricots should bepruned in Winter

Apricots ruit mostly on semi-permanent sprigswhich should be renewed about every threeyears. They also produce on permanent, short,

ruiting spurs.

Apricot ower buds are easily identi ed. Theyorm a cluster o buds that also include a lea

bud and they are on the short sprigs and alongthe branches o one-year-old (last years) wood.

Managing apricot sprigs

As pruning is carried out to establish theramework o branches, shorten the longer

sprigs (over 300 mm) and remove any i theyare crowded. The second year wood does notproduce ower buds, but a new sprig extends

and produces ower buds on the extension.A ter the third or ourth year the original sprighas probably lengthened to the extent that the

ruiting area is too ar out rom the ramework branch and should be cut right back to a youngsprig (i any) which has grown rom the base o the original sprig (see third year picture at right)or cut right out i there is another young sprigto take over in the vicinity. Keep this system o detail sprig pruning going each year.

Apricots

A second year sprig. The two-year-oldwood may notproduce lowerbuds. Shorten thenew growth (withthe lower buds) i more than 300 mmin length.

The third year. The sprig againlengthens and the

lowers are ormedon the new wood.In the ourth yearprune back to ayoung sprig.

First year sprigs.

Le t: An unprunedtwo-year-old apricot.Below: The prunedtwo-year-old tree.

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14/23

Apples and Pears

Apples and pears ruit on lateral, non-vigorouswood that is at least two years old. Many cultivarso apples and pears produce ruiting spursreadily. Some, like Granny Smith bear ruit onthe ends o laterals as well as a ew spurs. Thereare several types o ruiting habits or apples and

pears, but or the most part they are covered bytwo terms, Spur bearing and Tip-bearing.

Apple trees should be pruned when planted andthen regularly or the rst ew years therea ter. The horizontal laterals should be tipped the rstyear and allowed to harden up.

Tip-bearing trees tend to produce ruit towardsthe ends o relatively young laterals, while spurbearing trees tend to rom spurs easily and donot grow as vigorously. Spurs can be encouragedto orm on standard trees by graduallyshortening laterals back closer to the main

ramework over a period o several years, makingcertain to leave some ower buds each time youprune the lateral.

Flowers are o ten ormed on spurs and the spurscan be encouraged to orm more readily i thelateral is growing horizontally. Select laterals thatare already tending towards horizontal or planto bend them down with a weight. These lateralswill become the basis o the ruit producing area

o the tree and the aim will be to turn them intoruiting spurs spaced com ortably along the mainramework branches.

Tip-bearing tree laterals should be le t untippedas the young tree may produce only on the tips

or the rst ew years. During the second yearowers buds should be prominent, particularly

along the laterals.

Each ower bud is a potential ruiting spur andeach lateral may have several buds. The ollowingyear shorten the lateral back to two ower buds(spurs) and back to one ower bud (spur) theyear a ter.

As previously mentioned, i in doubt, wait untilthe tree owers to establish where to prune.

Dwar apple be ore pruning showing vigorous, uprightgrowth which should be removed.

Dwar apple a ter pruning with vigorous, upright growthremoved. The ruiting laterals are shortened back close to themain ramework. Extensions o ramework branches selectedand tidied up.

Removing a branch to leave a spur and a lateral. A ter this thelateral can be pruned back to two buds.

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15/23

Spur maintenance

This process is carried out by removing anybroken or worn out spur and replacing it withanother nearby lateral.

O ten a lateral grows out rom an establishedspur and this lateral can be trained by pruning

and weighting to become a replacement spur.Spurs should be removed and replaced a terabout six seasons.

At right, the ramework branch o a pear treeshowing several stages o spur renewal alongthe branch.

1. The pruner decided to renew a spent spur byleaving a one-year-old lateral growing romthe spur. It should be tied or weighted down

to make it grow horizontally.2. The horizontal lateral was tipped during the

previous pruning season and produced owerbuds the ollowing growing period. The two-year-old lateral was then shortened slightly(at the time o the photograph) and will beshortened again each year until it resemblesthe older spurs urther up the branch.

3. The stub o an old spur which has beenremoved due to becoming uneconomical.

4. A spur which is becoming uneconomical. Thisspur will probably be removed next season orrenewed i a new lateral grows rom it (as initem 1) or a new lateral shoots close by, romthe main branch.

5. Healthy spur.

A branch weight canbe used to orce lateralgrowth.

1

2

3

4

5

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16/23

Cherries ruit on one-year-old wood and on thetips o annually lengthening ruiting spurs.

Young cherry trees often have only two strong,long branches which should be pruned toabout 500 mm or slightly longer i plantingwhen dormant.

A ter establishing the ramework branchescherry trees require very little pruning. Brokenbranches and any branch that is crowding outanother should be removed.

Cherries ruit on the ends o short spurs whichproduce a multitude o owers each year.

When harverting cherries it is important togently pick of the ruit with the stem intact;avoid breaking the ruiting spur rom the tree.

Cherries

The ruiting spur o a cherry.

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17/23

Plums ruit on one-year-old wood, on olderwood and o ten orm spurs also.

Most ruiting will occur on wood which istwo years old. They also produce reely onpermanent ruiting spurs. I allowed to growunchecked the plum tree will become unruly

and produce ruit in large quantities which will

cause the branches to break rom the weight.Plums should be pruned to keep the ruit closeto the main ramework branch.

As a rule o thumb, pruning plums is simply amatter o pruning of anything growing out o reach and leaving the rest.

Plums

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Example o permanent ruitingspurs.

Le t: Vigorous, unpruned top growth o a plum.Right: One branch is selected to become the new branchleader and the rest are simply removed.



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Peaches and nectarines ruit on one-year-oldlaterals.

It is important that the last seasons growth o peaches and nectarines be pruned to ensureadequate growth o ruiting wood and to keepthe ruit close to the main ramework branches.

Follow the earlier instructions on theestablishment o the ramework o branches(either vase-shape or central leader) andshorten back the laterals slightly. Thin thelaterals i they are overcrowded by cutting themback to two buds rom the ramework branch.New laterals should grow rom these budsnext year.

The aim is to have new laterals shooting romthe main ramework each year, thereby keepingthe ruit close to the main branches.

Remove those branches (last seasons laterals)which carried the ruit last season (see picture). They will have produced new growth on the

ends or produced new side laterals which willbear ruit too ar rom the main ramework o the tree. The best ruit is produced close tothe stronger main branch as it is less prone tobreaking of or to wind damage.

Peaches and Nectarines

Above: A main ramework branch withone-year-old laterals unpruned.

Le t: The same main ramework branchpruned.

Below: Previous years ruiting lateral(1) showing new extension growth (2). The weight o the ruit has caused thelateral to hang down. New ruit budsare now produced on the extension.I ruit is allowed to orm here it maycause the lateral to break o .

1

2

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19/23

The method o pruning owering trees is verysimilar to that o pruning ruit trees.

To have an ornamental owering tree with aramework o well balanced branches is more

desirable than one which has been le t to makeits own shape and may end up with only a ew

long, slender branches. Your trees will have abetter shape i they are pruned at least or acouple o years.

When to prune a fowering tree

Prune owering trees a ter the owers haveaded. It would be a shame to prune your tree

be ore it has reached its ull bloom beauty anda ter all, that is the reason or planting thatcultivar in the rst place.

Follow the basic instructions set out early inthis document. Prune shortly a ter the petalshave dropped but be ore any substantial shootgrowth has occurred.

Pollarding fowering trees

There are many owering trees which lendthemselves to pollarding to encouragethe ormation o long whips that can becompletely covered with blossom each spring. The genus Prunus is particularly suitable or the

method o management.A ter the tree has been pruned or the rstcouple o years to establish a main ramework o branches and immediately a ter the owershave aded, each main branch is cut drasticallyback to the main rame. Providing the tree ishealthy, new shoots will sprout all around thebranch stubs. These shoots will make long,slender growth during spring and summer andwill carry many owers the ollowing spring.

The owers on the long whips begin to openat the base and gradually open in successionalong the entire length.

Deciduous flowering trees

Heavily pruned lowering plum Prunus Elvins sends out newlower-laden branches each season.Such a tree can also be pollarded..

Pictured at Cherry Tree Grove Retirement Village, Victoria, Australia

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20/23

Pruning owering and ornamental trees (a terthe initial shaping o the trees in the rst two orthree years) is usually only necessary to cut outany damaged or unwanted branches or is doneto improve the aesthetic value o the tree or tomake the tree t a speci c purpose.

Pruning, particularly in its early li e willgenerally improve the quality o any oweringor ornamental tree by establishing a goodstrong shape or the uture. The shape o mostweeping trees is strongly enhanced by pruning

or the rst ew years a ter planting.

Deciduous ornamental trees have a naturalgrowth habit and are generally le t to maketheir own shape. Many assume a multi-stemmed habit, orming a dome shapewhile others grow with a dominant centrebranch which o ten dictates a pyramidalshape. Generally the only pruning necessary

or deciduous ornamentals is to cut outany damaged or unwanted branches asthey occur.

Pollarding deciduous ornamental trees

Heavily pruned street trees are examples o pollarded ornamentals which, i le t to grownaturally, could be too large or the site. Thisregular lopping o the branches back to shortbranch stubs is called pollarding. The pollarded

tree assumes a rounded head and becomesomewhat uni orm in style.

Pollarding an ornamental tree situated neara driveway or ootpath should be postponeduntil the tree has attained enough height givepedestrians and vehicles adequate clearance.Each main branch is then cut back drasticallyto the main ramework o the tree, allowingmasses o new growth shoots to emerge romaround the stubs next season. Suitably selectedtrees can achieve quite elegant efects in thegarden through pollarding.

Replacing a damaged central leader

O ten the central leader o a tree becomesdamaged which may spoil the potential shapeo a young tree.

A side branch may be in a position to be trainedupwards to assume the role o central leader,

replacing the damaged leader.Cut the damaged leader back to a bud orbranch. I it is a bud, train the growth rom thattop bud straight upwards by attaching a splintalong the upper part o the trunk and trainingthe newly growing shoot up along the splint.

I an existing branch is to be used as the centralleader replacement and assuming it is youngand exible, gently pull the branch upwardsand bind it to a splint. Budding or PVC tape isideal or this purpose.

Sap ows strongly to branches that arevertical and the selected branch should soonstrengthen and become established as thecentral leader.

Deciduous ornamental trees

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21/23

With the exception o weeping maples(Dissectum group) which should be le t toestablish their own style, weepers per ormbetter i they are pruned heavily in the rst ewyears to establish a growth pattern. Note thatthe weeping birch has its own peculiar pruning

method which is explained later.Weeping trees are generally trained in the ormo a beach umbrella. This is easier to achieve i the tree is pruned hard or two or three yearsa ter planting.

Each weeping tree cultivar has its own naturalgrowth habit and may vary rom the weepingcherry pictured. Following the generalprinciples explained here and a little trial anderror should give you satis actory results.

Pruning a newly planted weeper

The ollowing diagrams illustrate how to prunea weeping tree at planting time when the treeis dormant. Pruning at this time and in thismanner should encourage strong growth the

ollowing season.

Pruning weepers

To establish an umbrella shape, always takeout the branches that are growing straightdown and concentrate on encouraging themain ramework growth to outwards similarto the spokes o a beach umbrella. The aim is

to leave the space under these branches clear,encouraging vigorous new growth on the endso the spokes. The main ramework brancheswill strengthen and the shape will becomeestablished. Remove any upward growth tomaintain the height o the tree as you require.

Use the plan diagram or a vase-shaped treeas a general indication o how to prune toestablish the spokes. Always prune to anupward/outward acing bud.

As a particular tree matures we would prune itless severely each year, except or the branchesgrowing straight up or straight down under themain ramework branches.

Weeping Trees

Le t: Unpruned be oreplantingCentre: Pruned ready orplantingAbove: Always prune toan upward acing bud

Above Le t: ThisPrunus subhirtella Pendula Rubra has a natural unrulygrowth habit and i le t unpruned would extend upwards considerably.Above Right: Shaped and directed by pruning the new growth will becomecovered with lowers the ollowing spring.

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Betula pendula Youngii, the weeping birch,presents a slight variation to other weepingtrees.

The existing branches usually have side lateralswhere the pruning cuts would normally bemade. Each side lateral then has buds quite

near the original branch acing in an odddirection. Cut the main branch back to thelateral and then shorten the lateral back to abud close to the main branch.

Weeping Birch

Unprunedbe oreplanting

Prunedready orplanting

Prune the main branchback to a side lateral

and shorten the side lateralback to a bud close to the

main branch

Prune tothisbud

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Walnut

Chestnut

Mulberry

Persimmon

Quince

Medlar

Pruning o these ruit types is minimal. It isrequired only to encourage new growth romtime to time, although it is may be prudent toprune in the early years to establish a good

ramework o branches.

Chinese Gooseberry (Kiwi Fruit)

These produce on the rst six buds which growon last seasons canes. The long, one-year-oldcanes should be shortened to the sixth bud.

Fig

Figs produce in the lea axils o the growingtips. The embryo gs that did not developedinto mature ruit be ore the onset o winterbegin to grow again the ollowing spring. Asthe branch extends, the ruit becomes urtheraway rom the tip and in turn becomes theoldest ruit on the tree. Meanwhile, new ruit iscontinually being ormed as the branch growsoutwards.

Rejuvenation pruning could be carried out byremoving the oldest branch back to the baseeach year.

Grape

Following the increased popularity o grapevines over recent years, pruning methodologyhas been re ned and adapted markedly and werecommend that gardeners seek in ormation

rom the many sources o grape pruning

in ormation available in books and on theinternet.

Further in ormation

This brie guide is not intended to be ade nitive volume and we suggest that, as withgrapes, you have available to you a myriad o literature in many ormats rom which you canchoose to urther understand the intricaciespruning o trees.

Other fruit and nut types

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