Restoration Pruning

[RobArb]

Is there a way of promoting branch growth (like epicormic but not as vigorous) anywhere on the stem/branch of a tree?

 

For example if the tree has been lion tailed and there are long scaffolding poles everywhere (like a lot of the trees that have had past work on them where i work). is there a way of encouraging new growth in the inner crown?

 

would making a little snick or cut in the bark cause epi to grow which could be managed to create future branches?

 

Does it depend on species to species?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

basically this is one of those things you should be encouraging on ALL prunes, to restructure the tree and encourage restoration of a once smaller framework. It can be done and with ease and lots of time, at least a decade and three prunes.

 

I know how to do it, but telling another how to do something that comes naturaly i aint good at! its all about what you leave in on a reduction. this subject does need discussing and getting into some form of order.

[RobArb]

I know the basics and when reducing and thinning now, I do what I can to either leave as much inner crown as possible or reduce it to points that will restore the growth evenly and as best for the tree.

 

What I'm saying is, can you essentially "pick/scar/nick" the bark in places on stupidly long scaffold poles to promote growth whilst leaving the rest of the tree untouched?

 

I know how important the inner crown is but I think the people who ordered/carried out passed works previous, didn't!

[Xerxses]

According to old apple tree ptuningbooks a "v"-shaped notch behind a bud is supposed to promote a branch to sprout (instead of a flower) but I have never tried... a bit of fieldtrials?

[nepia]

basically this is one of those things you should be encouraging on ALL prunes, to restructure the tree and encourage restoration of a once smaller framework. It can be done and with ease and lots of time, at least a decade and three prunes.

 

I know how to do it, but telling another how to do something that comes naturaly i aint good at! its all about what you leave in on a reduction. this subject does need discussing and getting into some form of order.

 

 

Any idea how that would work? The classic way to promote lateral growth of course is to remove the tip of the branch, the source of the auxins, but here lateral growth is being asked of the tree with the tips in place.

[RobArb]

I've read things on the restoration pruning of fruit trees in orchards but can't seem to find anything for street/parkland/other trees

 

might start making a few "v" shaped notches (out of sight to start with) on some scaffold branches on trees near me, see what the "field tests" throw up

[David Humphries]

Rob,

 

when I was in the Basque looking at the old Beech Pollards a couple of years back, I came across axe incisions that Ted Green had made a couple of years previously.

 

Where it had worked, about 50% of these advantitious eruptions were still viable.

 

.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Monkey-D

[Graham]

Those axe incisions are used on big old stems in a laid hedge to promote new growth. I've always cut them in. Sometimes works, sometimes not.

[Amelanchier]

Interesting idea. I doubt you would be activating dormant buds through small wounds but you would be initiating the formation of callus which is itself meristematic and capable of differentiating into shoot primordia.

[RobArb]

how secure would the new branching be?

 

its not as if its grown there from the original growth pattern of the tree, its "artificially" encouraged so would that mean there would be a weaker connection to the stem anyway and the whole procedure rendered pointless?

 

i do fancy experimenting with this though:thumbup:

 

ps, cheers david for those pics, helps a lot:biggrin: and interesting too