Pruning beech

[Paul Barton]

I realise that sometimes time pressures don't allow us to choose, and this may vary geographically....but would you still crown reduce beech trees at this time of year?

 

Do you use a cut-off date as we near bud-burst?

 

Friend of mine has a couple of big beech reductions waiting to be done but is worried that this is a bad time of year to do it.

 

Any opinions welcome:001_smile:

[John Hancock]

Hello mate,

 

Your right, it is a bad time to do it. Don’t prune at high times of stress such as bud break and leaf fall. The tree is already using large amounts of energy and wouldn’t welcome using even more energy to compartmentalise the fresh wounds.

 

Trees store energy within their branches/stems, removing this stored energy (particularly if the tree is under stress) could cause the tree to pass into strain, a condition of which it will not recover. I’d wait till late spring/summer, the tree will then be in a period of high photosynthetic production and will be able to cope much better with a crown reduction.

[Paul Barton]

Thanks John - much as I thought. I'll try and persuade him to wait a while...

[Marcus B-T]

This is slightly playing devils advocate but what is the scientific basis for it not being a good time for prunning? I have never been able to find anything definate in the literature but I would welcome some sound guidance on this point. Reason I say this is that although from a photosynthate point of view it might be a bad time (althogh I am not completely convinced) from an hydraulic point of view it is much better than later in the year. So which is more important? My my how I like to make people think

[Peter]

I prune beech trees whenever someone offers large bundles of used £20 notes with non-sequential serial numbers.

 

I would be interested to know why I shouldnt though...

[David Humphries]

....but would you still crown reduce beech trees at this time of year?:

 

Don’t prune at high times of stress such as bud break and leaf fall. The tree is already using large amounts of energy and wouldn’t welcome using even more energy to compartmentalise the fresh wounds.:

 

I have never been able to find anything definate in the literature but I would welcome some sound guidance on this point.

 

 

 

Don't ya just love Arbtalk :001_smile:

 

 

 

 

.

[Stephen Blair]

I prune beech trees whenever someone offers large bundles of used £20 notes with non-sequential serial numbers.

 

I would be interested to know why I shouldnt though...

 

what size and age is the tree, and how much is too come off?

i would of thought if it was a lovely southern tickle, them knock yourself out. if it was one of my slightly heavier handed cant be arsed climbing too far out the limb reductions, 046 special. yeehaaa . get it done mate:001_tongue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but i liked all the stuff john said, very interesting mate. i will monitor this thread very closely. always willing to learn new stuff:001_smile:

[Marcus B-T]

I think this is a realy important area to consider and might be important in all sorts of ways. Fungi-tree relationships/times to prune/speed of retrenchment/stimulation of regrowth following pollarding.

 

I have an idea at the back of my head that timing of pruning could be very important but that we don't realy understand it yet. I would like to think we are trying to reproduce what happens naturaly, but are we? It all goes back to physiology again. The physiological priority will change at diferent times of year. So when pruning takes place we must consider, nutrient cycling, photosynthates, and water (these are the major ones) but we also need to consider the hormonal controls which will work with us or against us depending on the time of year.

[skyhuck]

Hello mate,

 

Your right, it is a bad time to do it. Don’t prune at high times of stress such as bud break and leaf fall. The tree is already using large amounts of energy and wouldn’t welcome using even more energy to compartmentalise the fresh wounds.

 

Trees store energy within their branches/stems, removing this stored energy (particularly if the tree is under stress) could cause the tree to pass into strain, a condition of which it will not recover. I’d wait till late spring/summer, the tree will then be in a period of high photosynthetic production and will be able to cope much better with a crown reduction.

 

This has always been my stance, but I am very interested in what Marcus has to say

[Mesterh]

I was told the same as John ie bad times to prune are leaf form and leaf fall.

 

Although much probably depends on how much leaf area is being removed, a crown clean and or a crown lift if not too drastic shouldnt make much difference I would of thought.

 

Also when doing a thin or reduction you can imo get a better idea when in full leaf of what needs to be done (what needs to be done to satisfy the customer rather than the tree )

 

Ive seen plenty of 'drastic' reductions that have killed the tree off within 2-3 years maybe down to the time of year it was carried out ie pops and willows that can usually take it.

 

Interested to hear some more science behind it though