Return to the Azalea & Rhododendron Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
To Prune or Not to Prune
| | |
Posted by borealtree 8 Portland, OR (My Page) on Thu, Jul 28, 05 at 2:07
I was begining a large pruning project today for a client (sorry yes i know) on about 20 Rhodies all of which are overgrown and gone without maintenance for many years, after the first one I realized through my agressive pruning (they need it) that i was adding a very large stressor to an already stressed shrub. The less hardy dogwoods nearby were wilting and browning from lack of irrigation (we had an unusual winter with 6wks of dry, hot weather during normally wet times and again it is hot and dry) and some of the Rhodies were experiencing it as well. The ground was bulletproof and all of them have high sun exposure.
I sucked up the idea of not making money and stopped myself from pruning further or starting the other shrubs. i instructed the customers that they needed to install some drip hosing and water heavily to allow deep, ample soil moisture for the trees/shrubs versus sprinkling with water here and there with a garden hose and that i would return in a couple of weeks, after daily waterings, to complete the job. I am using directional pruning, not heading or stubbing the branches, would there honestly be any issues with pruning during the summer if they are (now) getting a regular dose of moisture?
thanks,
hans
|
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: To Prune or Not to Prune
| | |
- Posted by MorZ8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
Thu, Jul 28, 05 at 23:09
| Hans, I've been thinking about what you propose, and if they were my own, I might try it. No criticism of restorative pruning here. But, there are a couple of things you may want to consider... These are going to need regular water from now till rains begin in Fall. I know Portland has imposed severe water restrictions some years in the past, is that a possibility with our dry winter this year? (I do remember my brother completely destroying his lawn replacing an automatic irrigation system, finished just as lawn watering in Portland was prohibited for several weeks) And, dormant buds on rhododendron will often take about 10 weeks to sprout from very old wood/main stems. That takes you into the middle/late October. If winter is like this last year, no problem...But, an ice storm like the winter previous to last year (January?) could be damaging to the new growth; high sun exposure must also mean no overstory winter protection either. Chances are you could do the job now and all would turn out well, but you couldn't offer the same promise of good results as you could have if the pruning had been done in May or June and the shrubs were not already stressed. I think the best I could say is go back after they have had several days of regular water, you've had several days to think about it, and assess them again. |
RE: To Prune or Not to Prune
| | |
- Posted by KarinL Vancouver Z8 (My Page) on
Tue, Aug 2, 05 at 21:23
| I pruned an overgrown Loderi King George about mid-June this year and it started sprouting new growth off old wood a week or two ago. Maybe this happens faster in summer, and/or it is not such old wood (the whole plant is maybe 8-10 years old). But you're not actually "stubbing" the branches, which I did. Maybe you wouldn't even be stimulating new growth. But if you were... I wonder: if you wait just a little longer till early fall, maybe the plant wouldn't even produce new growth because it is slowing down for winter? That's just a guess. One other detail: Once they are pruned, the ground below gets more sun - dries faster. At least, if you decide not to take the risk now, you'll have a controlled study, since you already did prune one! Be sure to report :-) |
RE: To Prune or Not to Prune
| | |
| I am faced with the same situation. I have a client who has HUGE Rhod.'s and need to be cut back. I am not concerned about the water, but should I prune and cut back some now and then some in early spring when they are dominent? The shrub is so big that even if new growth does not form it may not be that bad, since it is so large. |
RE: To Prune or Not to Prune
| | |
- Posted by MorZ8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
Wed, Aug 3, 05 at 20:30
| Flowerchild, our climates are very different, but I think it's late to hard prune now in Z5. Late Winter to early Spring are the recommended times for mild season climates, after frost no longer threatens is best where winters are severe. Cold damage is more likely around pruning wounds than on unpruned parts of the plant, and new growth is not going to have time to mature before your cold weather. And keep in mind that while all-at-once restorative pruning is often very successful and you see it done often in our easy zone, safest is to remove 1/3 of the branches over a three year period. I probably would not prune my own over three years, but I do notice both of you are talking about pruning for clients... |
RE: To Prune or Not to Prune
| | |
Regardless of the zone, and I agree with MorZ that spring is better than fall, especially in z5, I'd rather go for 1/3 than all-at-once if I'd do that for myself.
Reason is simple, by doing 1/3 you could control (somewhat) the form of the future shrub by removing unwanted growth from the new growing parts as well, while doing all-at-once you have to live with whatever and however it will grow.
I did 1/3 to large Pieris and especially old and leggy Kalmia and I'm very pleased with results.
Contrary, all-at-once heavy pruning of another Kalmia resulted in uncontrolled new growth that even now in year 5 after the surgery require some mid-season corrections.
Again, doing that for yourself and for customer are two different things. |
|
|
|
|
