Tree Pruning and Training for Healthier Trees

Tree pruning conifers during the dormant season will minimize sap and resin flow, but they can be pruned anytime. Tree pruning the trees which have showy flowers must also be achieved while dormant in order to see the structure, maximize wound closure, reduce disease and to eliminate any excessive flow of sap.

Flowering more info need dormant pruning for exactly the same reasons above but some may also need pruning at other times. Trees and shrubs that blossom in planting season, the dogwood and red-bud for instance, have to be pruned immediately after they flower. Many flowering trees could be susceptible to fire blight, a bacterial disease, that may spread by pruning. These trees, such as crab apple, pear, varieties of hawthorn, mountain ash, pyracantha, and flowering quince ought to be pruned during the dormant season. Those that flower during summer or fall should also be pruned during dormancy. Dead branches, however, can be removed anytime.

Fruit trees won't develop to the proper form or shape without the pruning or training. Properly pruned and trained fruit trees will yield an increased quality fruit earlier and their live span will be longer. The target to pruning and training would be to develop a strong tree framework which will be able to support a big crop of fruit. If fruit trees are not trained in the right way the angle of the branches will undoubtedly be much too upright and may cause breakage with much crop. This will cause a reduction in the productivity of the tree and shorten its life. Another aspect of annual pruning and training is to get rid of all diseased, broken, and dead limbs.

Proper tree training will start the tree's canopy and invite penetration of maximum light. Nearly all fruit on a deciduous tree is formed the previous year as flower buds. The penetration of light is most significant in the development of buds combined with the optimal fruit set, flavor and quality. Even if an adult fruit tree keeps growing quite well completely sun, a dense canopy will prevent enough sunlight to attain 18 inches in the tree. Checking the canopy of the tree permits proper movement of air to allow speed in drying to minimize infection and invite penetration of pesticides. A perfectly shaped fruit tree can be quite a beautiful asset to a garden or landscaping.

Previously pruning has always been the technique in forming and structuring fruit trees. Tree training is a more desirable and effective way to improve the structure and form. Pruning is simply the removal of portions of a tree that correct the structure; training is a newer application where in fact the direction of the growth to a desired form and shape is set. Training a fruit tree is important for proper development. It will always be easier to train the direction of the growth than to prune to improve it. Pruning is normally done in the wintertime while training and pruning is performed in summer and pruning in dormancy. The purpose of training would be to correct the growth of a tree in addition to to minimize cutting.

Trees respond differently to summer pruning and dormant pruning. In the fall the power of the tree is stored in the main and trunk system to aid the most notable section. If removal of a big part of the tree is performed during dormancy, the tree's energy isn't changed. In the spring, the tree will react by producing many upright, energetic shoots called water sprouts; these will shade the tree and stop good development. Heavy pruning during dormancy causes the same problem.

Dormant tree pruning needs to be done late in the season to avoid winter injury. Apple and pecan trees need pruning before peach tree pruning, plum-tree pruning and cherry tree pruning. A practice would be to prune early blooming trees last and the later blooming trees first. It is best to prune the older trees first because the younger ones are prone to winter injury with early pruning. Summer pruning reduces most of the tree's energy that will bring about tree growth reduction. Pruning will start as soon as the buds start growing, but usually it begins after the growth of vegetation is several inches in length. In most cases summer pruning is only to eliminate vigorous and upright growth and only the cuts which will do some thinning. Summer pruning must be completed before the end of July as a way to lower any problems of winter injury.