New England GROWS- Extreme Education Boston, Massachusetts February 4, 2010

Transcription

1 New England GROWS- Extreme Education Boston, Massachusetts February 4, 2010 Erik Draper, Commercial Horticulture Educator Ohio State University Extension, Geauga County

2 ó Malicious pruning ó Plant physiology & growth ó Know thy plants ó Repair process ó Where to begin ó Dealing with disasters ó Ideal tree & shrub expectations Structurally sound Aesthetically acceptable

3 ó Flagrant flaunting of proven pruning techniques ó Detrimental to plant longevity & overall health ó Compromises structural integrity ó Tragic waste of plant infrastructure & resources ó Crime against landscape aesthetics ó Totally unnecessary

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12 ó Fascinating but very complex interaction ó Plants interpret and respond to environmental stimuli ó Increased far red light off other plant leaves Increases internode length (etiolation) ó Sunlight- drives photosynthesis in layer(s) of leaves Quality nanometers Quantity-shade versus full sun exposure ó Nutrients- both excess and insufficient ó Water Cellular expansion (growth) direct correlation with water content Limited water means

13 ó Sunlight ó Genetics ó Available nutrients ó Available water ó Tree health ó Number & condition of leaves ó Terminal or apical bud

14 ó Hormone based- Auxins vs Cytokinins ó Bud inhibition rangespecies dependent ó Removal causes a free-for-all ó Dominance is good ó Some trees weird

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16 ó Weepers lack apical dominance ó Upright (fastigiate) very strong apical dominance ó Most plants exhibit some apical dominance Excurrent branching Decurrent (deliquescent) branching ó Conifer cuts ó Deciduous cuts

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21 ó Bud locations (new growth) ó Candles, some axillary ó Timing critical- July 15th ó Adventitious or latent buds RARELY BREAK ON OLD WOOD Mainly on 2 nd & some 3 rd year wood

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25 ó Bud locations (new growth) ó Terminal, axillary, lateral ó Adventitious or latent (dormant )buds ó Break slowly ó Genesis of watersprouts

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27 ó Ask yourself: What was the original reason for this egregious travesty against trees? ó Evaluate remaining structure ó Evaluate plant age and health ó Must re-establish apical dominance ó Determine if kindest cut is basal pruning ó Communicate realities to client LONG TERM PROCESS Expectations for both arborist and client ó Hardest and most difficult recover a tree Patience and daring ó Initially require more seasonal selective pruning

28 ó Select the most vigorously growing watersprout ó Examine point of attachment ó Not out on the callus/wound tissue near cuts ó Nor 2-3 inches below those cuts tissue dieback ó Which point of attachment best Top or bottom of the branch If there is a choice... Top ó Growth weak until branch collars can reinforce new growth ó Minimize carbohydrate waste into witches brooms or excessive weak wispy growth ó Direct energy into desired structure

29 Yearly growth

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37 ó LET EVERTHING GROW ó Open up the canopy ó Sunlight into lower part of tree ó Encourage watersprouts ó Stimulate growth if necessary (fertilize?) ó Crown reduction (drop crotch)

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39 ó Young plants more adaptable Actively growing ó Older plants may not respond Conifers questionable Older wood (latent/adventitious) buds slow to respond ó Poor structural integrity will always be weak ó Weak structural integrity will always be a liability

40 ó Time consuming ó Slow process ó Difficult on mature trees Loss of structural integrity Loss of photosynthetically active tissue ó Younger trees more easily adapt Haven t invested significant resources yet ó Most effective on shrubs

41 ó Clients will try to minimize impact Oh that can t be true, I ve seen worse ó People won t acknowledge problem ó Sometimes best approach is removal and start over

42 ó Ask yourself: What was the purpose for this sin against shrubkind? ó Open up the tight canopy Infuse light into the center of the plant ó Removing the proliferation of shoots as far down into the main trunk or base as possible ó Think about the one-third ratio removal ó Invigorate growth ó Select desirable growth

43 ó Drastically remove MOST of shrub structure ó Leave varying 6-12 inch stems ó Must be done EARLY in the growth season ó Carefully done Azaleas, Rhododendrons ó Hammer em: Twig Dogwoods, Barberry, Flowering Quince, Mockorange, Spirea, Shrub roses (R. rugosa), Lilac, Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis), Weigelas

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46 ó STORM DEVASTATION Snow Ice Wind shear winds Microburst winds ó Similar outcome for TREES ó Just get it done FAST Quickly restore utilities Remove hazards to public ways ó Best approach is basal pruning

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49 ó Single central leader Nice slender taper top to bottom ó 1/3 balance- branch to trunk ratio ó Branch crotch angles- 30º-65º ó Branches spaced: _ turn and step up ó Exceptions to every rule! ó All comes down to structural integrity

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51 ó Multi-stem But not too many SUNLIGHT ó Long, clean straight ó Little to no branching ó Wood present for 3-5 years only

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53 Draw your smiling face here!

54 ó BE Informative ó BE Trustworthy ó BE Patient ó BE Daring ó BE Smart ó BE Honest ó BE Willing to walk away