February March 2018

• Cut so buds will grow away from the tree trunk, not in all directions. • Prune the top to balance it with the root system and to the caliper of the trunk. Leaving too much on can make the top too heavy and cause the plant to bend or fall over. [Boxelder tops all its seven to eight-foot whips by about a foot. Alameda cuts back shrubs that are going into #5 containers to a minimum of two feet tall.] • Cut back Spirea and Potentilla to remove the spent flowers. • Do not cut back plants like lilac with terminal buds. • Thin out and cut back peach tree branches to help them break bud and leaf out. • After budding, use masking tape to hold them straight. Timing • Prune just before planting (within minutes if possible). • Pruning inside a building can be easier in bad weather, but there is risk of the plants drying out before they get in the field. 12 Pruning Roots • Take off as little of the root as possible since it is the food source for the plant. • Remove any broken roots. • Cut an inch from the tips of each root where it has dried out, trying not to cut good, healthier root tissue. • Trim roots to fit the size of the containers (keeping in mind the goal of minimal pruning). • Cut back large, less fibrous root systems like bare root peach trees. Tops • Pick quality tree liners that are not really leggy, so not a lot of branch pruning is necessary. However, all ornamentals including quality ones come in branched and need trimming. • Always try to prune before the buds break—trimming after leafing out wastes the tree’s energy. • Remove broken branches as much as possible. colorad o nga.org LooseLeaf February/March 2018 Photo courtesy of Carlton Plants