librarian2003 (librarian2003) wrote in weagardening, @ 2011-02-07 23:15:00 |
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Current mood: | contemplative |
Week 2 - Pruning
The major handout for pruning is in the form of a table showing pruning requirements for a large range of shrubs, and I can't post tables to this journal. So, I'm afraid you have to be there to get one!
Here are the others:
The pruning groups here are those listed by the Royal Horticultural Society, and are in common use.
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE
PRUNING
GROUP 1
Action: In late winter or early spring, when dormant, remove misplaced or crossing shoots to maintain permanent healthy framework.
Examples: Acer palmatum; Hamamelis; some Magnolia
GROUP 2
Action: After flowering, cut back flowered shoots to strong buds or young lower growth; on mature plants also cut back one quarter to one fifth of old shoots to base.
Examples: Buddleja alternifolia; Deutzia; Forsythia; Philadelphus
GROUP 3
Action: After flowering, cut back flowered shoots to young side shoots or to strong buds low down on branch framework.
Examples: Cytisus; Kerria
GROUP 4
Action: Cut back to first bud or pair of buds below each flower head. Once established, cut back one third to one quarter of old shoots to base in early or mid spring.
Examples: Hydrangea macrophylla
GROUP 5
Action: After flowering cut back all stems to strong buds or developing shoots close to base.
Examples: Prunus triloba
GROUP 6
Action: In early spring cut back to permanent framework or, for subshrubs and for drastic renovation, cut back flowered stems close to base.
Examples: Buddleja davidii; Caryopteris; Perovskia
GROUP 7
Action: In early spring cut back stems to within 2 or 3 buds of base (suckering species close to base), or to permanent framework of branches.
Examples: Cornus alba; Cotinus; some Eucalyptus; Sambucus
GROUP 8
Action: After flowering lightly trim or prune back shoots that spoil symmetry. Deadhead regularly if practical, unless fruit required.
Examples: Camellia, Rhododendron
GROUP 9
Action: In mid- or late spring lightly trim or prune back shoots that spoil symmetry. Deadhead regularly if practical unless fruit required.
Examples Eucryphia; Prunus laurocerasus; Prunus lusitanica
GROUP 10
Action: After flowering, or in early or mid-spring, cut back flowered shoots to within one inch of old growth.
Examples: Calluna; Erica; Lavandula
GROUP 11
Action: After flowering, or in late winter or early spring, trim to fit available space; carry out renovation pruning as required.
Examples: Akebia; Clematis montana; Fallopia baldschuanica
GROUP 12
Action : After flowering, or in late winter or early spring, spur prune side shoots to within 3 or 4 buds of permanent framework
Examples: Bougainvillea; Solanum crispum
GROUP 13
Action: After flowering, or in late winter or early spring, cut back flowered shoots to within 2-4 buds of permanent framework.
Examples: Ceanothus; Chaenomeles
Jo Hanslip
1 June 1999
revised February 2008
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE
Clematis - How And When To Prune
Group 1 Early flowering species
Flowers in winter and early spring on the previous year’s shoots.
Prune after flowering, removing dead or damaged stems and shortening others where required by space. This encourages production of new growth to flower in the following season.
Group 2 Early to mid-season large-flowered cultivars
Flowers in late spring and early summer on sideshoots arising from the previous year's growth, and in mid and late summer at the tips of the current year's growth.
Remove dead and damaged stems before growth begins in early spring, trimming all remaining stems back to strong buds. These buds will provide the sideshoots which carry flowers in late spring and early summer.
Group 3 Late, large-flowered cultivars, late-flowering species and small
flowered cultivars
Flower on the current year's shoots in summer and autumn.
Cut back all previous year's stems to a pair of strong buds, 6-8 inches above soil level, before growth begins in early spring.
Jo Hanslip
February 2008
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE
Pruning grape vines
The usual method for dessert grapes is to develop single or double cordons, or rods, on which permanent fruiting spurs are formed.
Vines fruit on the current year’s growth. Spring and summer fruiting is aimed, therefore, at restricting new growth from the rods so that one bunch of grapes develops from each spur. It also restricts the growth of foliage enough to expose the developing fruit to the sun, particularly in cool climates. Carry out winter pruning before mid-winter to restrict sap-bleeding.
Routine pruning
Once the vine is established, and formative training completed, routine pruning is carried out from the third year onwards.
In spring, let two shoots grow at each spur and pinch out the others. Retain the stronger of the two for fruiting, and pinch back the weaker to two leaves, keeping it as a replacement in case the fruiting shoot breaks. In summer, as flower trusses develop, retain the best, pruning out the others to leave one per lateral (the shoot you retained in spring). Stop laterals at two leaves beyond the chosen flower trusses. Pinch out laterals not carrying flowers at about 5 leaves and any sub-laterals at one leaf.
Each winter continue to remove two thirds of the new growth from the leader, but when it has reached the top of its support, cut it back annually to two buds. Cut laterals to one strong bud. If spur systems become congested in later years, either remove part of the system with a pruning saw or, if there are too many spurs on the rod, remove some of them completely. The spurs should be 9-12 inches apart. The rod should be untied from its wires to about half way down its length and bent over nearly horizontal for a few weeks in winter to encourage the even development of shoots the following spring; then retie the rod vertically.
Alternative pruning methods
Some cultivars will not produce adequate fruit-bearing shoots from the basal buds left by spur pruning. In such cases, longer lengths of ripened wood, or canes, are retained when winter-pruning the buds from which fruit-bearing shoots will be produced. Other canes are cut back to 3 or 4 buds to produce strong new growths to replace the old fruiting canes the following winter. This process is repeated annually.
Jo Hanslip
January 2011
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE
Wisteria – Notes On Pruning
Wisteria may be reluctant to flower unless the vigorous leafy summer shoots are severely curtailed, and the plant’s energies diverted into producing flower buds. Flowering is also improved if the main stems are trained horizontally rather than vertically.
The flower buds are produced on short spurs, and the aim of pruning is to encourage these spurs to develop along the framework of branches of an established plant. The simplest method is to carry out a two stage pruning regime.
1 In late summer cut back long growths and shorten lateral growths to about 6 inches, leaving 4-6 leaves. Leave stems unpruned only if they are needed to extend the framework, and train them in. Make cuts well clear of the last bud as the buds are easily damaged.
2 In midwinter, cut back summer-pruned spur shoots to 3-4 inches, leaving two or three buds. At the same time, reduce to 6 inches any long growths that developed after summer pruning.
Jo Hanslip
February 1999
rev Dec 2005
Jo