Saturday, April 13, 2013

"Yes! You Can" - Pruning the Canopy of a Tree


"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?
 
 

Beautiful & ready to bloom this season!

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