The lesser of two evils?

[Mark1]

Gardener *cough* at my friends mums house has "cleared those pesky lower branches" from the trees so she can get the mower in a bit easier.

 

Timing could be better and most limbs look like they've been removed with a plastic knork/angry badger on a stick.

 

Some of the stubs are half a metre long...

 

Whaddya think is best for the trees, remove stubs now or wait till dormant season?

 

Trying to weigh up the pros and cons of each.

 

Mostly Oak, Birch and Field Maple. Roughly 20 years old.

 

Thanks people.

 

P.S Great site I've been lurking for years ever since I first started thinking about Arb, feel like I know some of the regular posters though we've never met. I love that when I google an Arby question 9 times out of 10 there's a related thread on here, thumbs up and thanks for the inspiration.

 

P.P.S Still laughing about the Solititer fish.....

 

P.P.P.S May have derailed my own thread there.

[swinny]

Remove the stubs now i'd say

[Dan Earp]

the damage has already been done, if they arent removed pest and disease can/will cause more damage. Remove back to the bbr

[Mark1]

Thanks for your thoughts, that was my initial idea but started thinking maybe with all the beasties about this time of year it might be better to leave them on, let the potential P and D into the stubs, hoping they don't get into the stem by winter and take them off then? Trees would then have to try to seal (effectively) the same wound twice but might this approach be better?

 

Thanks for your input.

[skyhuck]

Because the trees are in full vigour they are in a good position to defend against pathogen attack.

 

Pruning only in the winter (dormant period) is a bit old hat really. I wonder if that was an idea that suited those doing the work, gardeners and councils, as in the summer they are busy cutting grass and other summer jobs, saving tree work till winter was very convenient.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Because the trees are in full vigour they are in a good position to defend against pathogen attack.

 

Pruning only in the winter (dormant period) is a bit old hat really. I wonder if that was an idea that suited those doing the work, gardeners and councils, as in the summer they are busy cutting grass and other summer jobs, saving tree work till winter was very convenient.

 

There are sound arguments for and against just about any period regards pruning, I have long since ceased to worry about ANY period bar first leaf budding on certain species and periods of long dry weather which is for me the most important of all considerations.

 

on the whole I would agree with you Here huck

[Mark1]

Because the trees are in full vigour they are in a good position to defend against pathogen attack.

 

Pruning only in the winter (dormant period) is a bit old hat really. I wonder if that was an idea that suited those doing the work, gardeners and councils, as in the summer they are busy cutting grass and other summer jobs, saving tree work till winter was very convenient.

 

Fair point.

 

So best time to prune is in fact now? Regardless of saw drunk gardener?

 

Understand the whole Prunus/chrondo timing thing but everything I've read so far seems to suggest dormant period is the way to go. Is this a very old skool attitude/potential conspiracy.

 

Thanks

[Dan Earp]

Because the trees are in full vigour they are in a good position to defend against pathogen attack.

 

Pruning only in the winter (dormant period) is a bit old hat really. I wonder if that was an idea that suited those doing the work, gardeners and councils, as in the summer they are busy cutting grass and other summer jobs, saving tree work till winter was very convenient.

 

that may have been ref the councils, i guess depending on the size of the council A.O, with leicester we have are own dept and run throughout the year.

[Stubby]

Gardener *cough* at my friends mums house has "cleared those pesky lower branches" from the trees so she can get the mower in a bit easier.

 

Timing could be better and most limbs look like they've been removed with a plastic knork/angry badger on a stick.

 

Some of the stubs are half a metre long...

 

Whaddya think is best for the trees, remove stubs now or wait till dormant season?

 

Trying to weigh up the pros and cons of each.

 

Mostly Oak, Birch and Field Maple. Roughly 20 years old.

 

Thanks people.

 

P.S Great site I've been lurking for years ever since I first started thinking about Arb, feel like I know some of the regular posters though we've never met. I love that when I google an Arby question 9 times out of 10 there's a related thread on here, thumbs up and thanks for the inspiration.

 

P.P.S Still laughing about the Solititer fish.....

 

P.P.P.S May have derailed my own thread there.

 

Cut em off clean just in front of the collar . They will doughnut over and heel .

[Gareth jones]

Fair point.

 

So best time to prune is in fact now? Regardless of saw drunk gardener?

 

Understand the whole Prunus/chrondo timing thing but everything I've read so far seems to suggest dormant period is the way to go. Is this a very old skool attitude/potential conspiracy.

 

Thanks

 

Hi mark, as tony said there is arguments for and against. As far as I understand it, pruning in the dormant period doesn't remove as much stored 'energy' within the branch as it is moved down into the stem and root system, but also as the tree is dormant it's defences are slow to non in sealing off the dysfunctional part of the tree leaving it open to a potential infection. If the trees are in good health with plenty of vigor removing the stubs should be fine, but leaving 'stubs' may cause the tree to use engery in blocking vessels in the branch, then by removing the branch back to the collar it's basically wasted wasted energy and removal of the trees defence lines... It's probably fairly insignificant but it's food for thought when working.

 

P.s. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong