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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Keyword: Pruning trees

Pruning apple trees

We have an apple tree in our back yard. Last year it produced more apples then we knew what to do with. We pruned it after last season and then this year was an off year and we only had a few apples. My question is do we need to prune it every year or only after a very productive year? We are very new at this so any pruning tips you have would be great as well!!

 

Many factors may have affected the fruit production on your apple tree, but the general rules on pruning are to prune young trees very lightly, and old trees more heavily, particularly if they have shown little growth.

Pruning is usually done when the tree is dormant (i.e., winter), but sometimes apples are pruned during the summer growing season (the main reasons to do this would be to improve fruit quality and quantity, to regulate growth and control vigor, and to reduce pest and disease problems). An excellent resource we have here is Training and Pruning Apple and Pear Trees by C.G. Forshey, American Society for Horticultural Science, c1992. Another thing to consider is whether your tree is a dwarf, semi-dwarf, or standard apple tree. Pruning differs for each of these.

The following factsheet gives basic guidelines for pruning fruit-bearing trees:

Pruning Apple and Pear Trees from Clemson University Extension

Below are useful webpages about pruning fruit trees, and apples in particular:

Pruning Tree Fruit from WSU Extension

Spring and summer pruning for apples from Oregon State University

We have many great books on this subject in the library if you need additional guidance.

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Niwaki: Pruning, Training and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way

Jake Hobson is a European author who moved to Japan.  Although now returned to his native England, he writes “Niwaki: Pruning, Training and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way” from his experience in Japan, including working at an Osaka nursery.

“The reliance on trees and plants is no different from most other gardening cultures in the world, climate permitting.  What is [author’s emphasis] different, however, is how the trees look.”  These trees, or niwaki in Japanese, are “pruned to fit into the landscape of the garden in a way that is peculiar to Japan.”

Hobson thinks these practices can be adapted for Western gardens, but counsels his readers to not slavishly follow Japanese plant selection.  Instead, he urges the gardener to apply the Japanese level of intensity in the care of garden trees, using species that flourish locally.

The author summarizes this intensity as an effort to create a “character of maturity” by “training and pruning branches to give the impression that they are larger and older than they actually are.”  He then relates these practices to many of the Western traditions used on fruit trees to increase yields.  This requires consistent and on-going pruning.

To illustrate these concepts, Hobson relies on mostly traditional Japanese garden trees but with some English examples.  I came to the conclusion that this style might not suit everyone’s taste, but this book gives you an in-depth introduction to the concepts and the process of niwaki, and gave me a greater appreciation of this approach to gardening.

 

Excerpted from the Summer 2020 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin

Fig tree pruning and care

We recently moved into an old house with a huge fig tree in
the back. We just missed this whole season’s crop because I was waiting
for them to turn brown but the birds got them all first. Then I saw some
green figs for sale in the grocery store and it appears that some
varieties don’t turn brown. Is this true or did mine not ripen? Also, the tree is probably close to 30′ and we’d like to add a screened-in porch under part of it. I’d really like to keep the tree and a good
bit of fruit but I want it to grow more in the other direction. I’ve read
that “hard pruning” is encouraged, but does that really mean cutting down
a thirty foot tree? Do I need to do it in stages? What’s the best size
and shape and how do I get it there?

 

There are different types of figs, and some are green, some are brown,
some are purple, as the images on the commercial site of Adriano’s Fig Trees illustrate.

Figs should be picked when ripe, as they will not ripen off the tree. The California Rare Fruit Growers site has good general
information on growing figs.

As for pruning, the best time to prune is late winter/early spring. To
control height, open the center of the tree and remove any dead wood or
drooping branches. I don’t think radical pruning is the standard practice
in maintaining a fig tree. University of Arizona article on growing figs describes pruning practices for several different varieties of fig.

Most pruning is best done when the tree is dormant, during the winter
when it is leafless. Even during the spring and summer, however, you can
start by removing all branches and stems that are obviously dead.

The rest depends on how your tree is growing (single trunk or
multi-stemmed), what kind of results you would like (how large, small or
what shape) and how long the tree has been unpruned. Our rule of thumb is
to go by thirds. Remove about a third of the wood that you would
eventually like to have gone. On multi-stemmed figs that are becoming
large, we recommend selecting a few oversized stems and thinning those
out to the ground, rather than “heading” all the branches to stubs. Let
the tree rest for the summer and see what new growth appears. We
recommend keeping fig trees small enough that all the fruit can be easily
reached from the ground but in some areas of the south and southwest,
folks treasure the deep shade of the larger figs. The final shape and
size are up to you.

A 2006 article by Bunny Guinness in the British newspaper the Telegraph also describes how to prune an older fig tree. Excerpt:

“Figs really are a lazy man’s fruit and, once they have had their
formative training, mature trees or wall-trained shrubs do not need much
attention apart from some replacement pruning. This involves removing one
of the seven or so main limbs every three to four years in March or
April, to stop the whole bush becoming too old and unproductive. Apart
from this, providing you have the wall space, you can leave well alone. I
have seen many such ‘neglected’ plants, and they still fruit well,
although perhaps not as well as they might.

“On the other hand, if you want to maximize your crop (assuming it is
against a wall), buy a copy of Clive Simms’s Nutshell Guide to Growing
Figs (Orchard House) to see how to fan train it
against a wall–it is not hard. Once you have established an approximate
fan of branches, you can start the ongoing pruning regime.

“Firstly, remove any weak branches in winter. Then, in April, remove the
very tips of the main branches, above the developing figs. This will
encourage side shoots, which are summer-pruned by cutting back in June to
about four leaves. This technique can almost double the crop and bring it
forward by a couple of weeks. Do not be tempted to cut back hard in
winter, unless you don’t mind forgoing a lot of your crop–this will
cause lots of new growth but little fruit.”

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Pruning ornamental cherries

I live in Seattle. My condo board is having a debate about
whether pruning an ornamental cherry after May will kill it or
not. Can you help? Also, when should it be pruned?

 

According to Cass Turnbull of the local organization, Plant Amnesty, the
main reason pruning ornamental cherries is problematic is that the branch
system of these trees is complex, and it is hard to tell (if you are not
an experienced gardener or a professional arborist) what to prune. In her
Guide to Pruning (Sasquatch, 2006), Turnbull says that ornamental
cherries are prone to dieback if their branches are shortened. Besides
the dieback issue, improper pruning can give rise to watersprouts (the
branches grow straight up). I consulted two other pruning guides, both of
which advised against any pruning of ornamental cherries.

Do you know why the board wants to prune these trees? If the trees are
too large for the site, it might make more sense to remove them and plant
something appropriate which will not require risky pruning. You may find
this discussion forum from University of British Columbia Botanical Garden helpful.

Excerpt:

“These generally disease susceptible trees resent severe heading back.
Trying to force it to become a perfectly symmetrical shape will also
destroy its natural character; much of the appeal of aged Japanese
cherries (and related trees) is the contrast between the prettiness of
the flowers and the rugged appearance of the trunk and branches.”

My summary is that, while pruning the trees may not kill them outright,
it could make them aesthetically unappealing and more susceptible to
disease, so it would be best to let them be.

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tree topping

The previous owners of our home planted Leyland Cypress at the property line. The trees have grown very high. The neighbors have asked us to trim these trees in a “hedge-like” fashion, which means that we would need to cut the tops of the trees. One neighbor, who is a landscaper, insists this will not damage the trees. But several arborists have advised not to “top” the trees. We are willing to have the trees topped as long as this will not compromise the health of the trees.

Pruning Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) to look like a hedge can be a challenge.

Topping is not a recommended method for controlling trees, because it often causes them to grow faster (unless they are topped mortally) and thus must be done repeatedly and expensively, and also because it weakens the tree, which may cause it to drop limbs, rot, or blow over more easily. The group Plant Amnesty has a great deal of information about why one should avoid topping.

However, topping may be less harmful for x Cupressocyparis leylandii than for other plants, but it is still not a particularly effective solution. The University of Florida Extension concurs that this practice is less harmful
to x Cupressocyparis leylandii than it is to other species, but they still do not recommend it.

Peter McHoy’s A Practical Guide to Pruning (New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 1993) also advises avoiding topping, but also notes that if one must top an x Cupressocyparis leylandii, it should be done in midsummer and repeated every few years.

However, in general, it would appear that topping is very much a last resort.

One book, Practical Tree Management: An Arborist’s Handbook, by T. Lawrence, P. Norquay, and K. Liffman (Melbourne: Inkata Press, 1993), recommends that “Where a tree requires severe reduction or radical alteration
of its aesthetically pleasing, natural growth habit, it is usually far better to consider replacing the tree with a species more suitable for the situation…” Thus, you may consider an initial pruning and eventual replacement.

pruning laceleaf Japanese maples

How do I go about pruning my laceleaf Japanese maple, and when should I do it?

Cass Turnbull’s Guide to Pruning (Sasquatch Books, 2006) specifically addresses the pruning of laceleaf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum dissectum). To summarize, she advises combing out any dead leaves, and then thumb-pruning tiny dead twigs (light gray in color). Remove dead or dying branches, especially near the bottom and inside the tree, working from the bottom up and the inside out. She likes to do summer pruning on this type of maple, but early winter is also acceptable.

You can find additional information on pruning from the local organization Plant Amnesty , including an instructional video in which Plant Amnesty founder Cass Turnbull demonstrates how to prune a laceleaf Japanese maple.

conditions for growing fig trees

I purchased a fig tree and my property has very limited space. There is an ideal strip of land by the south side of the wall that gets plenty of sun. I read that fig trees should be planted near a south facing wall, but my only concern is how close can it be to the side of the house. The strip of land is only about 2 feet wide and I also read that fig roots are shallow and spread beyond the canopy. I’m worried that the root system would cause damage to the foundation/basement.

The roots of a fig tree may be shallow, but they may spread out as much as 50 feet, and if the soil conditions are right (soft, permeable), roots may go as much as 20 feet deep. I think planting so close to the house is not ideal,
unless you were to have a dwarf variety of fig in a container (such as Petite Negri or Negronne). If there are any cracks in your foundation, then tree roots may be a concern. Tree roots do not usually penetrate a solid wall, although as they grow and expand, they can exert pressure on surfaces. The other concern with planting that close is that you will find you frequently need to prune branches away from the house. There is a tradition of growing fig trees as espalier forms (trained to grow flat, on one plane), but to do this you need to restrict the tree’s roots in a container. Below are links to information on how to do espalier:

Royal Horticultural Society

The following links have excellent general information about growing fig trees:

Purdue University Extension

California Rare Fruit Growers

Here is information from Reads Nursery, a British fruit specialist.
Excerpt:

Allow 8′ – 15′ horizontally and 6′ – 10′ in height per plant. Root restriction is required. Construct a box of 2′ square paving slabs 4′ x 2′ against a wall or side of greenhouse, leaving 3 inches showing above  ground. Put 9 inches of rammed brick rubble in the bottom and fill up with good soil such as John Innes No 3. [*This is a British product–you can use compost instead.] When planting loosen root ball  carefully around the outside and plant 1-2″deeper than before. Water in well. Pruning. Treat as for Figs in Pots but, on a wall, the plant should be fan trained on horizontal wires 12 inches apart.

Pruning camellias

I bought 2 small camellias a year ago. Their height and width at maturity will be about 10′ x 8′. One has 3 trunks. Now they are 4′ tall and the stems are so close, they are rubbing together and the branches cross-mingled. The trunks have hardened and are about 1/2″ to 3/4″ in diameter. Should I prune crossing branches and stems? Should I limit them to one or two trunks? If so, when and how should I prune? My goal is to have them limbed up or narrower at the bottom with a low tree canopy beginning at about 4′. They just finished blooming. The variety is Kremer’s.

Pruning the camellias when they are done flowering, but before they form new buds, should be fine. You are right to observe that crossing branches and branches which are very close will pose a problem as the camellias grow. In Cass Turnbull’s Guide to Pruning (Sasquatch Books, 2006), the author recommends selective pruning to thin out a camellia. Start by removing any dead wood, and then look for crossing and rubbing branches, taking out some (but not necessarily all–you don’t want to strip the plant) of the most obvious problem branches. Since you have young plants, you should not have too much thinning to do. Turnbull’s book also gives instructions for arborizing your camellia by removing the lower limbs. She recommends that you observe the branching structure before proceeding, and visualize what the plant will look like if you remove
some of the branches.

You may find this pruning guide(now archived) helpful. See second page, section III on “Tree-likes.”

The American Horticultural Society Pruning and Training book edited by Christopher Brickell (DK Publishing, 1996) suggests pruning a young camellia by shortening overlong lateral branches to an upward growing sideshoot. Selecting a central leader (main trunk) is also recommended.

proper time to prune Arbutus unedo and other plants

When is the proper time to prune Arbutus unedo? How much can be pruned at a given time? Same question for Osmanthus decorus, Viburnum odoratissimum, and Quercus reticulata.

According to The American Horticultural Society’s Pruning & Training edited by Christopher Brickell (DK Publishing, 1996), you can prune Arbutus unedo in spring, as soon as danger of frost is past (that would be early April in Seattle), but keep pruning to a minimum. Some people choose to remove lower branches to create a taller trunk on younger trees.

The book Pruning: A Practical Guide by Peter McHoy (Abbeville Press, 1993) says that Osmanthus decorus can be clipped in late summer. If you want to limit its size without clipping, prune back long shoots to points far inside the shrub in late spring or early summer, after flowering. If the plant is overgrown, you can spread this type of pruning over two or three years, but do not do it annually. I am not familiar with this species of Osmanthus, but I do know Osmanthus delavayi, and grow it as a hedge. It is sheared after it flowers, and then probably two more times
before winter. I did have to prune the top back quite hard last year, and this did not seem to cause any problems, but O. decorus may have different needs.

I could not find information about Viburnum odoratissimum specifically, but most pruning books have general guidelines for Viburnum species. Unless you do not mind losing the flowers, it is best to prune when flowering is done. If you are growing V. odoratissimum as a tree, then special pruning may be needed. George E. Brown’s The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers (Timber Press, 2004) says V. odoratissimum is somewhat tender, and may grow best as a standing bush with the protection of a wall, using ties in places to keep it close to the wall. The only
pruning he mentions is cutting out older wood after flowering, and tying new growth back to the wall (if you are growing your plant in a site where you can do this).

According to the Peter McHoy book, oaks do not require routine pruning. Brown’s book says not to prune oaks between mid-spring and mid-summer, as a means of protecting against oak wilt and beetle infestation. If you
must prune, do it in winter.

Quercus reticulata is not a common tree, nor are the species of Viburnum and Osmanthus you are growing. Unless there are compelling reasons to prune harder, I would suggest sticking to the 3 D’s of pruning: take out only dead, diseased, and disordered branches. Another general rule of thumb is never to remove more than 1/3 of the plant at one time. You might want to consult a certified arborist as well. You can find arborists through Plant Amnesty’s referral service or the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.

pruning and training young trees

I have two 15 foot maples (2-inch diameter trunk) in our front yard. They shot up with quick growth last year, which was very impressive.

Now, with the recent rains on their thick foliage, they are sagging to an extreme degree. One tree, to the west of the driveway, has its lead trunk bending over at a 90 degree angle — it is now parallel to the ground, no longer pointing vertically.

Why can’t my trees support themselves? Where is their strength? Are they in danger of breaking? Vertical growth is the goal here, not stooping, drooping, sagging maples.

Should I prune them, or tie them up, or let them droop?

From your description it sounds like your trees could benefit from some pruning and/or staking. In general the former option is better than the latter. If you find that, after pruning, your trees still droop, you will most likely want to stake them. The goal with pruning is to slowly train the tree so that its shape fits your needs and the tree’s structure is sound. Below are some websites that will help you prune and/or stake your trees. The last two sites address in detail the issue of young trees.

The City of Seattle offers general tree care information that may be useful, as well as a page on young tree care.

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) has a succinct page about how to prune a young tree.

The ISA also has a section on how to plant a tree. Scroll down to find a diagram that shows how to stake a tree.

The National Arbor Day Foundation’s Nine Things to Know About Trees contains some pruning information as well.

A Grounds Maintenance Magazine column  (now archived) by Michael W. Dougherty of Tree Management Co. addresses the specific needs of young trees.

Lastly, the Urban Tree Foundation’s Pruning page shows how to shape a young tree in order to strengthen its structure.