PRUNING
There are several pruning methods, each with different purposes. Young trees have other needs than older trees, and different tree species respond differently to pruning.
The purpose of pruning may include removing dead, damaged branches for safety reasons, building a robust crown structure, stimulating good fruiting, limiting crown size due to infrastructure, pruning to clear visibility for traffic, etc.
Proper pruning reduces the risk of branches falling and creating hazards, while promoting healthy growth. It is important that pruning is carried out at the right time and with the right technique to minimise stress on the tree and ensure that it continues to develop in the best possible way.
STRUCTURAL PRUNING
Structural pruning is actually the most important of all pruning methods, and is the start of good tree management. First of all, one must answer: what is the future strategy for the tree? Can it grow freely, or is it limited in space (crown, roots)?
After a young tree has become well established a few years after planting, structural pruning can start, to build on a robust tree structure and avoid structural future problems such as bark-included branch junctions, rubbing branches, low branches getting in the way of city infrastructure, etc.
It is important to intervene when the trees are young, since the wounds are smaller, and young trees can handle the wounds better than older trees.
MAINTENANCE PRUNING
Maintenance pruning is a pruning method that is performed after the tree's structure has been established through structural pruning. The goal of maintenance pruning is to preserve and maintain the tree's health, structure, and stability over time.
At this stage, it is often too late to change the tree's shape or structure. Pruning also helps maintain an aesthetically pleasing tree and can prevent branches from growing too close to buildings, roads, or power lines. When maintenance pruning, one should also be more careful with the removal of living branches, as older trees tolerate less pruning than young trees. Excessive removal of leafs and branches can weaken the tree, so it is important to do this carefully to ensure that the tree remains healthy and stable.
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FRUIT TREES
Proper pruning of fruit trees at the right time leads to an aesthetically pleasing tree with good and tasty fruit. As a general rule of thumb for pruning, avoid pruning during bud bursting in spring and leaf fall in autumn.
When pruning, there are usually fewer fruits, because the tree needs to invest in growth again. And fewer fruits on the trees usually lead to larger and tastier fruit.
You shouldn't remove too much foliage at one time. It's the leaves that make sugars (photosynthesis), which the tree needs to grow and produce fruit.
Stone fruits also tolerate less severe pruning than pome fruits.
POLLARDING (STYVING)
Pollarding is a pruning method that has its origins in the agricultural culture of the old days, where all branches of a tree were cut every 5-15 years. The purpose of pollarding was to provide fodder for livestock, the production of tools, boat building and fuel. Today it is still used when a tree is in poor condition and poses a risk of breaking off large parts of the crown, trunk collapse or root collapse. By greatly reducing the height of the tree, the center of gravity and wind load on the lower parts, which in this case are significantly weakened, are reduced. Pollarding is a pruning method that requires maintenance. Neglected shoots can become very big and heavy and can break off due to poor attachment.
Pollarding causes many pruning wounds, and so many entries for infections. Some wood species are well suited to pollarding, while others are not.
AESTHETIC POLLARDING (KNUTEKOLLING)
Aesthetic pollarding has its roots in horticultural history and is primarily about architecture, aesthetics and experience. These pollarded trees are particularly well suited to urban areas with limited space, because the crown size is limited and controlled. Aesthetic pollarded trees are preferably pruned every year, or at a maximum interval of three years.
When pruning, all new shoots are removed, up to just above the node. It is important that the pruning is done correctly. Long taproots cannot be left, but the node itself cannot be damaged, since the node stores a lot of energy reserves for the tree.
Pollarded trees can grow very old if they are well managed. The advantage is that even trees with severe mechanical defects in the trunk will still stand because the crown is so light.
CROWN REDUCTION
Crown reduction is the weight reduction of tree parts/branches, necessary due to
mechanical deviations in (the lower) parts of the tree, which could otherwise lead to breakage.
Crown parts that load the deviated part can be shortened, to reduce the load on the lower parts that are weakened.
Depending on the nature and size of the deviation, the tree species and its vitality, it may be advisable to carry out crown reduction gradually over time. This way, the stress on the tree does not become too intense at once and the tree is given time to develop response growth.
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