A Method of Pruning to Increase Light Penetration and Air Movement Through the Crown of a Tree by Selective Removal of Branches

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Crown Thinning: a method of pruning to increase light penetration and air movement through the crown of a tree by selective removal of branches. Epicormic Sprout: a shoot that arises from latent or adventitious buds; also know as water sprouts that occur for on stems and branches and suckers that are produced from the base of trees. In older wood, epicormic shoots often result from severe defoliation or radical pruning. Flush Cuts: pruning cuts that originate inside the branch bark ridge or the branch collar, causing unnecessary injury to stem tissues. Included Bark: bark enclosed between branches with narrow angles of attachment, forming a wedge between the branches. Pollarding: the annual removal of all of the previous year's growth, resulting in a flush of slender shoots and branches each spring. Stub Cuts: pruning cuts made too far outside the branch bark ridge or branch collar, that leave branch tissue attached to the stem. Topping: a poor maintenance practice often used to control the size of trees; involves the indiscriminate cutting of branches and stems at right angles leaving long stubs. Synonyms include rounding-over, heading-back, dehorning, capping and hat-racking. Topping is often improperly referred to as pollarding. Topiary: the pruning and training of a plant into a desired geometric or animal shape. Woundwood: lignified, differentiated tissues produced on woody plants as a response to wounding (also known as callus tissue). Pruning Techniques Crown Raising •Always maintain live branches on at least two- thirds of a tree's total height. •Removing too many lower branches will hinder the development of a strong stem. •Remove basal sprouts and vigorous epicormic sprouts. Targeting the Pruning Cut Technique for a Selective Branch Removal Technique for a Crown Reduction Cut Dead Branch Removal THANK YOU Jim Carse Assistant Manager – Urban Forestry The University of Texas at Austin Landscape Services [email protected] 512-475-7756 .

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