Pruning Landscape Trees, Pruning Landscape Trees, Shrubs, and PalmsShrubs, and Palms

Linda SealsLinda Seals

agente de extensión agricolaagente de extensión agricola

el condado de Brevard, Floridael condado de Brevard, Florida

What will we learn?What will we learn?

Importance of proper pruningImportance of proper pruning Basic plant biologyBasic plant biology Types of pruning cutsTypes of pruning cuts Different methods of pruning trees Different methods of pruning trees

and shrubsand shrubs How palms should (or should not) be How palms should (or should not) be

prunedpruned How and why you should sanitize How and why you should sanitize

pruning toolspruning tools

What is pruning?What is pruning?

Pruning is the act of removing any part of a

plant

Mowing is pruning!

The Golden Rule of PruningThe Golden Rule of Pruning

Even when mowing turfgrass!Even when mowing turfgrass!

Never remove more than 1/3 of a Never remove more than 1/3 of a plant at one time!plant at one time!

Exception: rejuvenation pruningException: rejuvenation pruning

What’s the big deal?What’s the big deal?

International Society of Arborists estimates that 90% of the problems encountered are not caused by living agents (pests or pathogens) but result from: Environmental stresses Mechanical injuries Wrong plant, wrong place

What makes it all work?What makes it all work?

Apical Dominance!

Apical Dominance is…Apical Dominance is…

Inhibition of the Inhibition of the growth of lateral growth of lateral buds by the buds by the terminal bud of a terminal bud of a plant shootplant shoot

The parts of apical dominance: The parts of apical dominance: hormones and terminal buds hormones and terminal buds

Auxins are plant hormonesAuxins are plant hormones They do lots of things such as help They do lots of things such as help

seeds develop, form leaves, help fruits seeds develop, form leaves, help fruits develop, encourage roots to grow, help develop, encourage roots to grow, help leaves fall off in autumn, tell roots and leaves fall off in autumn, tell roots and stems which direction grow, help cells to stems which direction grow, help cells to grow, and…grow, and…

drive Apical Dominance!

Where are auxins found?Where are auxins found?

Auxins are Auxins are concentrated and concentrated and manufactured in manufactured in the last terminal the last terminal bud on stem or bud on stem or limblimb

Apex or terminal bud

Auxin inhibits lateral bud break

Auxin moves

downward

Auxin inhibits lateral shoot growth

Auxin increases crotch angle size

Apical DominanceApical Dominance

Auxins are manufactured in the Auxins are manufactured in the terminal budterminal bud

Remove the terminal bud, remove Remove the terminal bud, remove the hormonethe hormone

If the hormone INHIBITS bud break, If the hormone INHIBITS bud break, what happens if you remove it?what happens if you remove it?

Remove the last terminal buds

The order of bud break may The order of bud break may depend on the leaf arrangementdepend on the leaf arrangement

Alternate

Opposite

Whorled

Alternate Arrangement Opposite Arrangement

The 3 Steps to PruningThe 3 Steps to Pruning

1.1. Remove dead, diseased plant Remove dead, diseased plant materialmaterial

2.2. Remove malformed branches, limbs:Remove malformed branches, limbs:a.a. Narrow crotch anglesNarrow crotch angles

b.b. CrossoversCrossovers

c.c. Rubbing limbs or branchesRubbing limbs or branches

3.3. Objective pruning (pruning Objective pruning (pruning techniques)techniques)

Step 1: Remove dead and Step 1: Remove dead and diseased Limbsdiseased Limbs

Dead and diseased limbs should be removed immediately whenever possible. This task can be conducted year round regardless of the growing season.

Step 2: remove narrow crotch Step 2: remove narrow crotch anglesangles