Not confident in pruning or don’t know how to prune, when to prune or why to prune? This ebook will help you to demystify pruning and pruning techniques - simply and easily.
Pruning mystifies many people. Some people never prune plants and still expect them to perform their best others constantly have a pair of pruners in their hands! Some plants do perfectly well without pruning – for example many trees are best left alone, unless they are damaged or have diseased limbs. Shrubs are best pruned because it improves appearance (makes them bushier and less woody) and also increases their longevity - because new growth appears as a response to pruning. Fruit trees are pruned to improve fruit size, to contain them and make harvesting easier and to encourage light and air through the plant which discourages fungal disease.
There are many reasons for pruning and inside this book you will find:
• Why, when, and what to prune and how pruning affects plants
• General pruning guidelines
• Information on pruning tools and equipment
• How to prune hedges and shape plants e.g. espaliers, topiary, bonsai
• How to manage pruning material – chipping, compost, mulch
• Information on pruning for fruit
• How to prune roses
• A directory of plants – how to prune what
Add this to your gardening tool box!
Pages: 147
Pictures: 180
ISBN: 978-0-9943737-4-8
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 introduction
Why, when and what to prune: how pruning affects plants
Removing broken branches, dead or diseased wood
Controlling the type of growth
Controlling the plant’s shape and size
Promoting healthy, bushy growth
Rejuvenating a plant
Why prune?
Pruning different species
Timing for pruning
What is compartmentalisation?
Chapter 2 types of pruning
Cleaning out dead wood
Stopping
Disbudding
Deadheading
Pollarding
Removing branches
Crown cleaning
Crown thinning
Crown reduction
Crown lifting
Crown renewal
Root pruning
Pruning trees in general
Pruning larger shrubs
Pruning tropical plants
Pruning container plants
Chapter 3 pruning tools and equipment
Secateurs
Pruning knife
Loppers
Pole pruners
Hand saws
Trimmers
Chainsaws
Gloves
Chapter 4 pruning hedges
Selecting hedging plants
Establishing a hedge
Types of hedge
Pruning or trimming an established hedge
Rejuvenating old and overgrown hedges
Pruning conifers
Other hedging techniques
Pleaching
Tapestry hedges
Mazes
Chapter 5 shaping plants
How to develop an espalier
Horizontal espalier
Oblique palmette espalier
Topiary
Portable topiary
Other plants suitable for topiary
Single-stem topiary
Verdant sculptures
Bonsai
Creating bonsai
Pruning bonsai to shape it
Chapter 6 managing prunings
Composting waste
Choosing plants for composting
Using compost to improve soils
Composting in home gardens
Indore method
Using lawn clippings
Mulching
How to lay mulch
Biochar
Chipping
Chapter 7 pruning for fruit production
Before buying plants consider the shape
Before pruning
Points to consider when pruning
Pruning specific fruits
Citrus spp.
Pruning a bush shape
Pruning a standard shape
Renovating an old citrus tree
Open vase shape formative pruning
Plum tree pruning
Pruning apricots
Knowing your buds
Chapter 8 pruning roses
When to prune roses
Pruning techniques for different types of roses
Pruning climbers and ramblers at a glance
Pruning roses as standards
Dead heading roses
Rejuvenating an old rose plant
Chapter 9 compendium of plants: how to prune what and when
Summary: basic pruning guide
Glossary
Appendix
Distance learning and online courses
E-books by John Mason and ACS staff
Printed books by John Mason
Useful contacts
ACS global partners
Social media