Pruning Blunders and the Ways in which to Avoid them
If you want trees to fill a wide area or are searching for shrubs for a little location, there are variations available for every plot. Trees and shrubs that are healthy and well-maintained are an asset to any yard, and there are varieties available for every plot.
Having the knowledge to prune them in the appropriate manner is an essential component of gardening. If you get it right, you will have trees and shrubs that are healthy, well-shaped, and abundantly loaded with flowers and fruits. However, if you mess up and make some of the most common mistakes in pruning, you can wind up causing your plants to suffer damage over the long term.
Pruning can be difficult for many gardeners, particularly those who are just starting out. However, once you are aware of the most common mistakes that can be made when pruning, the process becomes much simpler and less stressful.
In point of fact, there is a great deal of joy in gaining knowledge such as the one third pruning rule in order to carefully prune an overgrown or neglected plant and then watching it develop into a flourishing asset to your yard.
Brush up on the fundamentals of pruning.
Have you ever attempted to read a book on pruning and ended up feeling as though it was written in a language that you did not understand? Make no mistake—you are not the only one. Before you embark on your next cutting journey, it is important that you get familiar with the following frequent terms:
Apical bud: Additionally referred to as the dominant or terminal bud auxin, the bud that is responsible for producing new growth and is often situated at the very end of a branch.
Latent bud: Latent bud is a growth hormone that is found in apical buds and is responsible for promoting cell division, which results in new development. It also prevents any lower buds from sprouting. Every bud, which is normally located below the apical bud, stays inactive or underdeveloped for an extended period of time but may even sprout in the future.
Lateral Branch: There is a lateral branch. Any branch or subsidiary stem that develops from the leader stem of the plant. It is the primary or most prominent stem of a plant.
Primary Branch: The primary branch on the side. A huge lateral branch that is typically just somewhat smaller in diameter than the individual who is the leader.
The Top Ten Mistakes That You Should Be Aware Of When Pruning
When you have learned the art of pruning, your trees and shrubs will flourish. Pruning is an essential skill for every gardener to acquire.
However, if you have a pruning assignment that you believe may be too big or beyond your ability, such as if a major limb needs to be removed or if a whole tree needs to be felled, you should never attempt to do it yourself. Call in arborists or tree surgeons who have a good reputation and are professionals in the field to ensure your own safety as well as the safety of others around you.
Below, I will walk you through the ten most typical mistakes that are made during trimming, as well as show you how to prevent making them.
1. Heavy Pruning During the growing season
When a tree is aggressively pruned during the growing season, which is from spring until late summer, there is a possibility that the tree could starve to death because an excessive number of leaves will be removed. (It is important to keep in mind that trees obtain their sustenance from the leaves.)
It is also the most likely period for a drought to occur during the summer; a tree that is already stressed out as a result of excessive pruning will be less robust when water is scarce. It is also possible for bark that has always been shaded to become exposed to the intense heat of the sun if an excessive number of branches are removed. The plant will suffer damage as a result of sunscald caused by this.
2.Pruning without a specific objective
While pruning should be done with the intention of accomplishing a specific objective (for instance, removing dead limbs or enhancing the production of fruit or flowers), it should not compromise the overall health of the plant.
Damage is done to a tree or shrub for no apparent reason when pruning is done without a specific purpose in mind. In the best case scenario, extensive erroneous pruning requires time and patience to fix, and in the worst case scenario, it causes damage that cannot be undone. Therefore, give some thought before you cut!
3.Applying Pruning at the Wrong Time!
When it comes to tree pruning, different trees require varying amounts of trimming at different seasons of the year. If the trees are pruned at the wrong time, it can be a mistake that might stunt their growth or perhaps even cause them to die.
If a tree is pruned while it is still developing, throughout the spring and summer months, it will lose a significant amount of sap from the wounds caused by the pruning. This will cause the tree to become weaker and provide an entry point for diseases and pests.
The majority of deciduous trees, which are trees that lose their leaves at the end of summer, are pruned during the dormant period, which spans from the fall to the late winter months, just prior to the onset of the swelling and opening of their leaf buds.
An exception to this rule is made for trees that are afflicted with silver leaf disease. These trees include plums and gages, apricots and peach trees, almond trees, and members of the cherry tree family.
The fungus Chondrostereum purpureum is the causative agent of the disease known as silver leaf. Because it infects through pruning wounds and the spores are at their most active in the fall and winter, it is recommended that pruning not be done in the spring but rather that the most sensitive kinds be pruned in the summer to avoid spreading the disease.
In the event that any of your trees become infected with the illness, which results in a silvery sheen on the foliage, black stains within the wood when it is cut, and lastly bracket fungi on dead branches, you should remove the diseased wood and allow it to grow back to its healthy state. Take prompt action to dispose of the sick wood, and fully disinfect any cutting instruments that you use. It is important to avoid shredding infected wood, adding it to your home compost heap, or using it as mulch because doing so can contribute to the spread of disease to other plants.
After pruning, mulching trees helps to feed their roots. In the spring, give them a general tree and shrub fertilizer, such as this one by Bioadvance on Amazon, to give them a boost when the growing season begins. Mulching trees helps to protect their roots from the elements.
After the weather begins to warm up in the spring, evergreen trees should be pruned. Cutting them back in the fall or winter can cause frost burns and dieback to the reduced stems, so it is best to prune them when the weather begins to warm up.
4. Ignoring the disease and the repercussions
When pruning, you should never ignore any evidence of illness or dieback, even if it is only a tiny part of the tree or shrub that is affected. If the disease or dieback is allowed to continue, it will likely spread and eventually have the potential to kill the plant.
During the process of pruning, the first thing that should be done is to search for the “three Ds,” which are growths that are damaged, dead, or diseased, and then remove them to reveal healthy wood.
There is no requirement to use wound paint in order to preserve fresh cuts; nonetheless, it is important to disinfect and sharpen your equipment after each use in order to eliminate the possibility of the illness being transmitted to other plants.
5. Reducing the Height of a Plant by Topping It
When it comes to pruning trees, topping is never an appropriate method, and it is rarely a smart choice for reducing the size of the shrubs that are particularly enormous.
The haphazard trimming of huge branches in order to shorten their length results in the development of a multitude of new stems from buds that are located right below the initial cut. In most cases, the new growth is just loosely tied to the tree, and it quickly becomes a risk as each branch grows in size and becomes more susceptible to injury.
Better Method to Take: It is possible to reduce the size of a tree or shrub by purposefully cutting back branches to the adjacent branch in the case of a tree, or by cutting back branches to the ground level in the case of shrubs. Cutting a branch that is too long back to a lateral branch that is one-third to one-half the diameter of the branch that is being removed is another way that can be utilized to reduce the size of a tree. Almost immediately, this lateral branch will take up the function of the branch that was severed, resulting in healthy growth.
6. Removing large branches with a single cut
When pruning a huge branch, it is necessary to make many cuts in order to secure the safety of the gardener as well as the tree. The removal of a huge branch with a single cut can result in the branch swaying or pivoting during the sawing process, which can cause it to fall back on you as it separates from the tree.
If you only make one cut on a large branch, there is a greater possibility that the branch that has to be pruned may rip off nearby bark layers, which will cause damage to the tree..
Better Method to Take: In order to prune branches that are greater than two inches in diameter, the three-cut procedure should be utilized. Approximately five inches away from the trunk or the branch that is adjacent, the initial cut is an undercut. The undercut should be made approximately halfway through the branch. The weight of the branch is removed by the second cut, which is performed a few inches beyond the initially performed undercut.
At long last, the stump that is still present is removed with the third cut. Just before the branch collar, which is the somewhat swollen area where the branch attaches to the tree, the stump should be cut with a sharp knife. Make the cut at an angle of forty-five degrees.
7. The Use of Dirty and Blunt Tools
Even before you make the first cut, you run the risk of making one of the most significant blunders in pruning. You are setting yourself up for a lot of trouble if your cutting tools are dull, rusted, or covered in dried sap from the last time you used them. This is because you are carrying around a lot of difficulties.
Because blunt tools do not cut cleanly and will leave the bare ends of wood jagged and frayed, this can create entry spots for pests and diseases; therefore, it is important to always clean and sharpen instruments after use.
Stones for sharpening are readily accessible and should be included in your gardening gear since they are an essential component. This Sharpal 121N Dual-Grit Diamond Sharpening Stone, which can be purchased on Amazon, is one of my favorites.
Pruners and shears that have been left rusty and dirty pose the risk of infecting the plants that they are subsequently employed on. This is especially true if the shears and pruners have been used on sick wood in the past. Because it is not difficult to clean garden tools, there is no reason to avoid doing so!
Make use of a steel wool scrubber to remove rust in a gentle manner, and then apply Felco tool lubricant, which can be purchased on Amazon, to the hinges and moving parts of the device. If you wish to clean your instruments, I would suggest using an antibacterial spray or a general-purpose disinfectant and wiping the blades down with it.
Additionally, make sure that you use the appropriate cutting equipment for the task at hand. The gonicc bypass set of pruning shears that can be found on Amazon is an excellent choice for cutting twigs that are around the size of a pencil. I use this ratcheted set of Loppers from Fiskars, which can be purchased on Amazon.
Loppers are recommended for thicker stems. And for the largest branches, you will need pruning saws, such as this Rexbeti pruning saw that can be found on Amazon, or bow saws, such as this Great Neck saw that can be found on Amazon.
In order to maintain control over your plants, you continue to cut off the tips of them.
The reason why this is a problem is because we frequently believe that a big number of cuts will be detrimental to the plant, whereas fewer cuts will not cause any harm. In point of fact, one of the most regrettable mistakes that may be made in pruning is to cut off the tips of branches, often known as “stubbing out.
” As a result of the fact that pruning encourages the plant to develop, when you cut off the tip of one branch, four to six new branches will grow in its place. The removal of the tip of the branch also removes the apical (dominant) bud, which chemically limits the growth of the buds below it. This results in an abundance of new branches being produced.
In the event that there is an abundance of new branches, the common response is to cut off the new branches, which is the beginning of the vicious cycle of cutting off branches.
What can be done to repair it: Instead of making a huge number of minor cuts, the most effective technique is to make a few relatively substantial cutbacks. However, if you are in the midst of a nightmare when it comes to snipping, you need to make sure that you give all of the new branches the opportunity to grow from below the pruning cut.
The strongest and most vigorous branch of the bunch should be chosen at the conclusion of the growing season, which is late summer to early fall.
During this time, you should also make sure that the branch is growing in the desired direction. If it is at all possible, remove all of the other branches that are competing with the trunk, or at the very least, return them to the main supporting limb. Because of this, the selected branch will be certain to develop a dominant bud, which will prevent the branches below it from sprouting back.
8. Decision to not prune
Reasons why it’s not good: Failure to prune is arguably the most prevalent mistake that gardeners make when it comes to pruning. Some people are reluctant to make significant cuts because they believe that doing so will result in more difficulties than benefits.
Others are concerned that any kind of pruning will result in holes that are ugly or will slow down the growth of a plant. In the years that have passed, they are unable to comprehend the reason why their redtwig dogwood or ‘Flame’ willow no longer possesses stems that are brightly colored.
In the absence of pruning, the desired coloring will eventually be lost because the new growth is the one that possesses the most vibrant colors.
What can be done to repair it: A single word: prune. When it comes to shrubs that have intense bark colors, such as willows and shrub dogwoods, it is necessary to remove the older branches that are colorless.
The branches that fall into this category are those that are more than two to three years old for shrub dogwoods, whereas for willows, each and every branch should be collected and removed annually.
Dogwood stems should be removed as close to the crown (base) of the plant as possible, and willow branches should be cut back to a length of approximately six to twelve inches. The plant is stimulated to create new wood in a variety of gorgeous colors as a result of this removal.
9. Getting Rid of It Buds that are Developing into Flowers or Fruits
When it comes to pruning flowering trees and shrubs, the most common mistake that people make is pruning off buds that are still in the process of developing. In the long run, it does not cause any harm to the plant; however, the effects are noticeable during the entire growth season.
The flower buds and fruit buds that plants develop are produced at different times throughout the year. Some plants that bloom in early spring, such as certain species of hydrangeas, create their flower buds the previous summer.
When this type of hydrangea is pruned in the early spring, the flower buds that are about to bloom are removed. Other flowering shrubs produce flower buds in spring for flowers in summer and fall.
Approach that is more effective: Here is a general guideline: If a tree or shrub blooms in spring or early summer, it usually creates its flower buds during the previous growth season. Hold off on pruning plants that bloom in the spring and summer until after they have finished blooming. If a plant flowers in midsummer or fall, it likely produces flower buds during the current growing season and can be pruned in early spring.
An exception to this regulation is fruit trees. Late winter is the best time to prune the majority of fruit trees, despite the fact that they bloom in the spring.
10. While in a Hurry, Pruning
Skillful trimming takes time. Never rush a pruning job. Whether you make cuts that could take years to correct or you fail to make necessary cuts to correct a structural problem before it is too late, you will inevitably make cuts that could take years to correct.
A better strategy would be to begin with the simpler cuts. Get rid of any wood that is damaged, diseased, or dead. Branches that are growing into each other, crossing each other, or rubbing against each other should be removed.
The next step is to take a step back and study the plant from every angle. In order to reduce the size of the plant, remove branches until they reach their base. Removing branches that are attached to the trunk at a narrow angle is an important step in the process of pruning trees.
These weak unions are more likely to break in the event of a storm. Care should be taken to ensure that no more than one-third of the plant’s mass is removed.
Tip for Pruning
Two leaders in a row just is as bad as no leader.
In the case of tree leaders, two is not better than one. A tree with a double leader is a huge problem because heavy branches develop on the outside of the two main stems.
This weighs on the two leaders and strains the spot where they are attached, eventually splitting the tree. To remedy this landscape hazard, select the strongest and straightest of the two leaders. Make a 30- to 45-degree cut on the other leader to remove it. This ensures that moisture, which causes rot, doesn’t remain on the pruning cut.