14 - Friday, October 24, 1986 - North Shore News Planning to do the best for your trees and shrubs PROPER pruning is the number one best thing that you can do for your trees and shrubs and the dormant season pruning of deciduous trees is of particular value. Without leaves on the tree you or your arborist can clearly see to restructure the tree and remove any cross limbs, excessive sucker shoots, rubbing limbs, damaged branches, weak branches, or limbs that are growing in a way that will eventually cause problems (crass- ing other limbs, creating weak crotches, etc.) There are several types of prun- ing practised in the Lower Mainland. While these various types of pruning go by different names in different places, | will give them my names and describe each one. The six types of pruning are: 1. Drop crotch, 2.Espalier, 3. Pollarding, 4. Flat top, 5. Bad practice and 6. No pruning at all. Of these, unfortunately, number six is the most frequent practice, and number five is a close second. The first four probably are prac- tised only about 30 per cent of the time. 1. Drop crotch pruning is reduc- ing and restructuring the tree by cutting the excessive or undesirable branches at crotches or buds. This discourages the regrowth of sucker shoots and encourages the strengthening of the desirable branches. The objective of drop crotch pruning is to reduce and restructure the tree while still re- taining a ‘‘natural’’ tree shape. This type of pruning is good for your tree and helps it. maintain health and vigor. 2. Espalier is the training of trees to grow in certain ways or forms often grown along lines or stakes. The UBC botanical gardens have a wonderful display of espalier apple trees. Espalier in- volves selecting specific branches or buds and encouraging them to grow in the direction or conforma- tion that we want. Espalier means giving your trees an exceptional amount of attention and we hearti- ly approve. Generally this is a pro- cess that starts with a new tree and continues thereafter. We recom- mend this process for people who want to do something ‘‘special’’ with a tree or two. We don’t think it would be desirable for an entire yard. ; Tree Talk By Brian Fisher 3. Pollarding is the drastic cut- ting back of a tree. It is occa- sionally employed in an attempt to rejuvenate an old tree; and is prac- tised with some larger trees where space is a consideration. These lat- ter trees are the ones which you see in the winter which consist of a large trunk or a number of large stems with a bulbous bump at the top. Each spring these send out sucker shoots and give the tree foliage. Each year the sucker shoots are all cut off. | understand that in Holland, willows growing along the dykes are pruned this way each year and the cuttings used for weaving. It is cerlainly a way to control a large tree in a restricted area. and seems to work with some species. I believe, however, that this is not a good form of tree maintenance and that in most cases, replacement with a imore appropriate tree would be a better alternative. 4. Flat top is my own coined name for some pruning that I see occasionally on trees which are 10 to $5 feet high. It involves crot- ching the tree down so that the top is flat and then maintaining it each year by cutting off all upward sucker shoots. It encourages a tight elongated canopy. lt has been described to us as ‘“‘Japan pruning’’ perhaps because the tree often looks like a large Bonsai evergreen when in leaf. It would appear to be a com- bination of drop crotching, centre stem reduction, and free-standing espalier. | wanted to mention it separat- ely, because, although this would not be a preferred method of prun- ing, we can see certain applications wHere it would be desirable, and, because in most cases trees done this way have been done with con- siderable patience and care. This is not to be confused with the all too common practice of ‘‘topping”’ trees by cutting all upright laterals at the same heighi or the flat effect resulting when someone climbs in- to the centre of a tree with a See Cutting 4 $99 per yard .Selected Sheers & Antique Satins 20% Off all custom made bedspreads Sale ends Oct. 31/86 ALPINE TREE SERVICE LTD. 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