Gardening In LA
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
    • Garden Coaching
    • Speaking
    • Photography
    • Writing >
      • List of Articles
  • Blog
  • News
  • Monthly Tips
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Events
    • Submit Your Garden Events
    • Botanical Gardens' and Other Organizations' Garden Events
  • Jobs
  • Web Links
  • Newsletter

Pruning – Why and Where To Cut

2/11/2017

15 Comments

 
Picture
Sprouts arising from pruning cut. Figs are a wonderful place to start for the beginning pruner, since you can pretty much hack the tree and it will still send out lots of new growth and fruit.
Picture
The "before" of a persimmon tree.
Picture
And the "after" of that persimmon tree pruned.
Picture
Lemon verbena - lots of new growth after each branch was cut down to its only remaining green shoots. Note the new sprouts all along each branch -- you can now choose to trim further down for an even shorter and bushier plant.
Picture
Boysenberry - cut the old gray branches that bore fruit last summer but are now dead. Be careful to not damage new pink shoots arising from the crown.
Picture
Boysenberry vines anchored with clothespins to wire strung about 5 feet tall.
Picture
Tangelos have the novel nipple where they're attached to the branch. This tree has been producing in my garden for 70 years!
Picture
Oro Gold grapefruit. Dead branches need pruning.
Picture
Chasmanthe lemon yellow.
Picture
"Easter Egg" radishes formed 3 lobes and were super mild due to all the rain and quick growth.
     This is the big month for pruning deciduous fruit trees and vines. Basic guidelines for winter dormant pruning are to remove crowded or crossed branches, to open the center for good light exposure and airflow, to repair structural weakness, to remove vigorous vertical-growing branches (waterspouts), and to reduce the height or width of the tree to keep harvesting easily within reach when standing on the soil.
     Take care to not leave stubs or to overprune in any single year, as this encourages excessive new foliage and less fruit.
  An excellent, inexpensive, and easily-used disinfectant for pruning tools is rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol. Wipe shears with the alcohol after pruning every several cuts to avoid spreading any diseases. Clean the blades extra well before moving to another tree or bush.
      Pruning cuts that are under one-and-a-half inches across don't need protective covering. Paint larger cuts with an off-white or sand-colored interior latex paint that has a matte finish, not a glossy one – paint must be latex-based for interior use since exterior-use paint is oil-based and will suffocate tree pores.
     Never use black asphalt substances or dark-colored paint, especially on south-facing surfaces, since they will concentrate the sun's heat, baking and killing the tissue that the tree is trying to heal.
 
Citrus
     Pruning citrus trees requires a different approach.  Remove entire branches at the trunk. Heading branches back--cutting off only portions--will remove wood that would have blossomed and set fruit this coming season and stimulate more bushy growth.
 
Cane Berries
     Cane berries are most easily pruned when all their leaves have fallen off and the buds have just begun to fill out and show their light pink color. The dead canes and the plant structure are then quite apparent, and the thorns are more easily avoided.         
     When clipping away all the dead growth at the base of the plant, be careful to not injure the new pink shoots at the crown. Then prune each strong cane from the root crown about six inches above its point of attachment to the top horizontal support of the trellis.
     Prune side shoots just after the third strong bud. This second-year growth is where most of the blossoms and berries will set.
     Spread and re-anchor the upright canes evenly along the trellis in order to keep the area open for good ventilation and promote the even spread of developing foliage.
   This pruning and trellising procedure will encourage strong growth of fruiting vines but not of unnecessary foliage. Another approach, cutting down all dead and growing vines at the soil level in a clean sweep, is an easy approach, but it encourages weak bushy growth resulting in only a few berries setting very low on the plant.
 
Grapes
     The choice of pruning approach depends on the specific varieties and trellis structures you have. Generally, grapes will bear on second-year growth, so prune to encourage this.
     Pencil-sized grape cuttings with at least four nodes can be used to start new vines. To identify which end is which, cut the bottom (root end) of the cane flat across, and cut and the top (foliage end) at a slant. Bury the lower two nodes in the soil. Don't be concerned if new foliage doesn't appear from the upper nodes until very warm weather, as the strong root system develops first.

15 Comments
Tina Martino link
5/31/2017 01:04:15 am

I used the same technique for my basil to keep them alive and get harvest from it (https://www.gardenloka.com/how-to-keep-basil-alive/). Very effective indeed.

Reply
Anthony link
8/7/2018 10:20:39 am

That's a great article. I like it. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Yvonne Savio link
8/7/2018 06:40:19 pm

Hi, Anthony -- Glad to help!

Reply
TREE TRIMING link
1/28/2019 08:30:11 am

HI Yvonne Savio ,
You share the well outstanding information on this page about the care for pruners because the Pruners cut through all kinds of stems and branches, which means they end up covered in all kinds of sap, pollen, and plant debris. This makes them into a grimy, sticky mess and it can be hard to even open and close the blades if there is too much gunk on there, plus infected bits of plant stuck on pruners can transfer disease to other plants. Keep your pruners clean the right way with both regular cleanings after each use and deep cleanings once per season.
Thanks.

Reply
Yvonne Savio
1/28/2019 04:41:03 pm

Indeed!

Reply
parkingspacenear link
11/7/2019 12:21:40 pm

Pruning saws must be used to cut branches too large to handle with lopping shears. They differ greatly in handle styles, shape of the blade and type of teeth. Unlike most other saws, these are designed to cut on the “pull-stroke

Reply
naughteegirl link
11/30/2019 08:01:58 am

Pencil-sized grape cuttings with at least four nodes can be used to start new vines. To identify which end is which, cut the bottom (root end) of the cane flat across, and cut and the top (foliage end) at a slant. Bury the lower two nodes in the soil. Don't be concerned if new foliage doesn't appear from the upper nodes until very warm weather, as the strong root system develops first.

Reply
Yvonne Savio link
11/30/2019 10:17:21 am

Thanks for including! I prefer to cut longer pieces so 2 nodes are under the soil to sprout roots, and 2 or 3 nodes are above the soil to sprout foliage. Last year, it took until May for a good amount of roots to develop so I could transplant them into their new home.

Reply
Sabrina Addams link
12/3/2019 04:40:27 pm

My husband and I moved into an older, cute home with beautiful orange trees in the backyard. It's really helpful that you recommended pruning branches at the trunk to promote greater growth. Neither of us has much experience in gardening nor pruning, so I think we may hire a tree trimming service so that we can enjoy our new fruit trees and maybe even make orange juice.

Reply
Yvonne Savio
12/3/2019 05:21:01 pm

Hi, Sabrina -- Glad my comments are helpful! With citrus, you can shake the ripe fruit off, since it isn't damaged when they fall to the ground. On the other hand, with soft fruits like apricots and peaches, etc., you want to prune to keep the tree short enough to actually pick the individual fruits as they ripen.

Reply
bandar judi online link
3/23/2020 03:28:06 pm

Winter pruning is a great excuse to get outdoors and enjoy your garden even though it is cold outside. I always appreciate having made the effort when things start to leaf out and the garden looks like it is cared for and loved.
Thanks

Reply
Yvonne Savio
3/23/2020 11:00:45 pm

Absolutely!

Reply
berita dan tips judi terbaru link
4/27/2020 12:55:53 pm

Pruning can help control the size of a plant, direct growth, influence flowering or fruiting, rejuvenate old, overgrown plants, or maintain plant health and appearance. For shrubs, pruning also encourages growth below the pruning cut. For trees, pruning can also help prevent safety problems from broken, diseased, dead, or dying branches.
Thanks

Reply
Sarah Boulger link
9/1/2020 06:30:58 am

Nice Article...Very interesting to read this article. I have learned some new information. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Yvonne Savio link
9/1/2020 11:17:34 am

Hi, Sarah -- I'm so glad you learned something new and helpful! That's the whole point!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© 2015 Yvonne Savio. All Rights Reserved.                                                                                                                                                         Web Design by StudioMAH.