Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs George Driever Area IPM Specialist

Reasons to prune Improve and maintain plant health Improve flowering and fruiting Remove dead, diseased, broken wood Remove crossing and rubbing branches Control natural shape and size

Reasons to prune Safety Visibility Provide for sun and air circulation Restore balance and symmetry Rejuvenate deciduous shrubs

Determining Whether to Save a Storm Damaged Tree Is the tree damaged greater than 50%? Is the central leader broken? Does the tree have an intrinsic value? Is the tree young or old? What is the health of the tree?

Ice Damage Pecan Orchard: Winter 2000

50% to 70% of limbs destroyed

The Right Tree for the Right Place Before planting, visualize the mature tree. Avoid planting large trees under power lines. Don’t block the south side of the house with evergreens. Plant on north side as a wind break. When planting by the house, choose trees that are slow growing.

Tree Planting Choices Avoid planting brittle species such as elms, willows, box elder, poplars or silver maple where breakage can endanger life or property. Fast growing trees such as Bradford pears or maples will break limbs in high winds or ice storms.

When to Call an Arborist You are not sure if the tree is worth saving. Tree damage is severe. The branches are too high to reach. The branches are very large. Large branches are hanging. Broken branches near power lines. A chain saw is required.

Finding a Good Arborist They don’t just show up at your house. You have to make an appointment. You may have to wait a few days. They may cost a little more. They are bonded in case of accidents. They are recommended by professional organizations.

When to Prune Depends on the plant species Results in the least damage to plant Typically late winter to early spring Immediately after storm damage to reduce further damage

When not to Prune Immediately after new growth begins Prior to spring blooming shrubs/trees Late in summer After removing debris from storm damage

How much to prune Never prune more than 1/3 of branches in a given year. If pruning after storm damage, remove only branches that are dangerous or severely damaged. If storm damage is very severe, consider removing tree. Never dehorn or top a tree.

Pruning DO’s and DON’Ts DO plan every cut Do prune to an outwardly facing bud DO stand back and look DON’T give “haircuts” DON’T leave stubs DON’T use dull equipment DON’T prune everything into one shape

Pruning Tools

Where to make pruning cuts On storm damaged trees, do not leave stubs. Prune laterals back to the main branch. Never cut off the branch collar. The cut should be just outside the raised area. On large branches use the 3-cut system

Removing Large Branches

Pruning Fruit Trees

Central Leader

Open Center

Pruning a shrub

Rejuvenating a large bush 1 st Year Pruning Cuts

2 nd Year Pruning Cuts

Third year shrub thinning