"Yes,
you can!"
Pruning Trees & Shrubs
Part II - Pruning the Canopy
1. Now we will do the detail work in the canopy
of the tree. Use a good ladder! This magnolia has some dead stubs left over from poor previous pruning. Cut off the stubs, again flush with the trunk
at an angle.
2. The last step is to thin the canopy. We want to
create a canopy that is uniform and open, to allow good air circulation for the
leaves. Find any overcrowded areas where there are many branches emerging
close together, and choose some of the smaller ones to remove. Use your
previous experience: look for crossing or rubbing branches, and also those
which are growing towards the inside of the tree. We want to encourage branches which are growing outward and upward, and not
towards the center of the tree where they are likely to run into other
branches. However, don’t get too
prune-happy with flowering species such as this magnolia (or crabapples, for
instance) because the little branches carry the flower buds. Here, we have before and after pictures of
some thinning cuts, eliminating some minor growth to let larger branches grow
strong!
Before thinning After
thinning
After Thinning
Before thinning
3. Here we are!
Bottoms up, your shrub or small tree will be
~ clean
around the bottom - you pruned off the suckers!
~ spreading open in the middle - you pruned out crossing/rubbing
stems!
~ open in the canopy - you
pruned out minor branches in crowded areas!
The best part
of pruning is admiring your renovated tree or shrub!
We pruned
this unkempt magnolia...
Into this lovely magnolia!
And look at your nicely pruned Japanese tree lilac! Remember the lilac tree we started this pruning tutorial with?
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