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NOW IS IDEAL TIME FOR PRUNING MOST TREES AND SHRUBS
The period between now and mid April is an ideal time to prune many trees and shrubs. (A few exceptions are mentioned later in this column.)
Pruning during March and early April offers these advantages:
The absence of leaves makes it much easier to study a tree's branching habit and see defective tree parts such as dead, cracked or broken branches and weak tree crotches, forks and branch unions.
Trees pruned now will adapt to the loss of branches by adjusting the size or number of leaves next growing season.
Tree disease pathogens are dormant now so risk of spreading infectious diseases is reduced.
Frozen soil supports heavy equipment that may be required for large pruning jobs.
Qualified arborists and tree workers are more readily available this time of year.
Last year's severe storms left many trees in need of structural repair and grooming. Since the leaves fell last fall, I've noticed many broken branches that can be more safely and easily cleared out now than later in the growing season.
Here are some guidelines for pruning:
Remove dead, damaged or broken branches and any branches that are weakly attached.
Train young trees to have one main trunk by pruning off branches (double leaders) that turn up and compete with the main trunk. Young trees can also be trained to have well-spaced, well-attached side branches.
Don't cut lower branches on a young tree until the tree is well established and growing vigorously, and never remove more than one-fourth of a tree's mass each year.
Remove branches that interfere with sidewalks, streets or other objects.
If two branches cross or rub, remove the least desirable branch.
Remove diseased and low-vigor branches, suckers and water sprouts. Last week, I pruned dozens of suckers and water sprouts off a crabapple tree injured in a spring storm. The trauma of the injury stimulated the tree to go into a growth spurt and the tree was in serious need of thinning and shaping.
Thin branches for good structure, air movement, light penetration and weight reduction. Cut out any branches that grow back towards the tree's center.
Before you prune for appearance, consider what the natural shape and character of the tree should be. If a tree has the natural pyramidal form of a little-leaf linden, don't try to change it into the rounded form of an Ohio buckeye. If wide, gnarled limbs are part of the character of an old oak, don't try to transform it to the tidy rounded form of a young shade tree.
Think also about the function of the tree. Avoid pruning lower branches on a tree planted to shield a home from winter winds or to block an unsightly view. If a tree is supposed to frame a view, rather than hide it, remove branches that are in the way.
Before you actually begin pruning, step back and evaluate the tree visually and plan your work. Make cuts at branch unions (the point where two branches join) just outside the branch collar (the swelled portion of the branch next to the larger branch or trunk it's attached to). Never damage a branch collar - make you pruning cut just beyond the branch collar.
A strong branch union is U-shaped and has a ridge of branch bark running through it. A weak branch attachment has a narrow, V-shaped union, with bark that turns into the union that seems to get trapped between the branches.
When pruning a large branch back to a side branch, the side branch should be large enough to become the new leader. Select a side branch that is one third or more the diameter of the branch you are cutting off. Branches growing off the trunk should be less than one half the diameter of the main trunk.
The only trees you may want to avoid pruning this time of year are those that bleed sap, which includes maples, ironwoods, honey locusts, elms and black walnuts. Pruning these species now won't harm them but the flow of sap can be unsightly and messy. Remember not to prune oaks between April 15 and July 1 to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease.
The other collection of woody plants that shouldn't be pruned now is spring blooming shrubs such as lilacs, rhododendrons, azaleas and forsythias. Pruning these plants now won't harm them, but you'll be cutting off some of the flower buds that will be in bloom in a couple of months. Prune these plants immediately after they bloom.
Wait to prune evergreens until new growth becomes obvious in May or June.
My advice on pruning equipment is to use the most expensive pruning shears you can afford. I recently spent a small fortune on a Felco brand pruner because the previous four or five pruners I owned all did an unsatisfactory job of pruning or self-destructed due to faulty design.
Pruning paint is unnecessary on any tree except for oaks that are injured or cut between April 15 and July 1.
Large shade trees should be pruned by a qualified arborist. Topping large trees is an unhealthy practice and should be avoided.
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