The Physiology and Psychology of Pruning

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The Physiology and Psychology of Pruning The Physiology and Psychology of Pruning E. L. Lord, University of Florida, Gainesville I doubt if there is a subject that could methods of acquiring knowledge are sat be selected for discussion before this So isfactory, it cannot be said that pruning ciety in which there is a wider range of is one of them. opinion than the one which I have been It is only within the last few years that asked to present to you; and before going horticulturists have been able to reach any further I wish to assure you that I do not definite conclusions, and these have been intend to offer you a text on this sub the result of the work of plant physio ject, but rather to t>ring to your attention logists. Studies on growth responses, certain phases of this important matter transpiration, carbohydrate-nitrogen ratio, which are often overlooked. absorption and translocation of food ma In the first place this paper will not terials, fruit bud differentiation and de take up the question of many pruning velopment, water relations and the like, practices the wisdom of which is self-evi have given us more real insight into the dent, such as the removal of dead or in pruning problem in the last fifteen years jured branches, the removal of limbs than had been learned through the prac close to the trunk, the burning or destruc tices of the preceding centuries. tion of pninings which may cause disease Why do we prune our trees ? I suspect in the planting, or the protection of large that any grower can give an answer to wounds from infection by the use of this question, but I am not so sure that dressings. I assume that my topic "The he can give a rational answer. In a great Physiology and Psychology of Pruning/' majority of cases his answer would rest will explain why I confine myself to the oil the dogmatic assertion that he learned discussion of more fundamental facts. to prune the plant properly at' a certain It is difficult to reach final conclusions time and a certain place, and that that on the subject of phming, because much is the way to do it because that is the way of our pruning is tied up with traditional that he learned it. It is probably true th&t practices brought over from Europe. if he learned his practice ffdm a good Most growers prune as a matter of course grower, that is one getting satisfactory re rather thalri because of any rationaliza sults, he is probably not harming his trees tion concerning the process. Most of our very much, although it is doubtful if he pruning practice.is the result of trial and is benefiting them as much by his method error acting over a long period of time, of pruning as he believes. The man who and while many horticultural practices is careful and conscientious in his grove which are the result of sudi unscientific work can usually ascribe the condition 109 110 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Let us examine some of the answers is wise. If his pruning of young trees that we get from growers. One grower consists further in the removal of the fine will tell you that he prunes his trees in brushlike wood near the base of the scaf order to avoid disease. If he removes all fold limbs, or if his pruning of older oi tile dead and badly injured or diseased trees consists in taking out a portion of wood he is certainly wise, and if he has the surface shell with the avowed purpose any melanose infection he is certainly of changing the shape of the tree, he is busy. He would be still wiser if he re certainly unwise, as by this means he re moved most of the dead wood that he moves the earlier productive wood of the could get conveniently, sprayed with tree or changes the type of wood pro Bordeaux-oil if his infection were very duced ; both of these practices tend to les heavy, and by proper fertilization and soil sen or delay production and are certainly treatment kept his trees in such a vigorous of questionable value. and healthy condition that infection was Why are these last processes of doubt reduced to a minimum. He is certainly ful value ? This is an easier question to unwise if he depends on pruning alone to ask than answer. Let us consider the keep severe infections of melanose in tree as a factory which exists for the pur check. With all that can be said about pose of producing fruit. It has certain the grower who limits his pruning to the raw materials, water, carbon dioxide, soil removal of dead wood, he at least is not nutriments. It is like many factories in likely to damage his grove severely, as the that it has sections devoted to the assem removal of dead wood has no physiologi bling of raw materials, to direct manufac cal effect on the tree; valuable as it may ture, and to the storage of the finished be in helping to control diseases and in products. The root system is primarily sects by removing sources of infection. an assembling system for the plant. It If you ask another grower why he collects raw materials from the soil and prunes he will tell you that he does it so the air; water with its contained nutri that the tree will have the proper shape ents from the soil and carbon dioxide so that it will bear heavy and regular from the air. The direct manufacture crops of high quality fruit. If at plant takes place only in the green parts of the ing time the prospective grower heads plant, particularly in the leaves. The leaf- back the young tree to a proper height he factory produces carbohydrates, (sugars, thereby helps in forming a low head starches). The rate at which the plant which enables the tree to produce its crop produces carbohydrates depends on the nearer the ground on strong limbs; if he leaf area, temperature, sunlight, its sup tops old trees at a height of twenty-five ply of water and other nutrients, and oth or thirty feet, so that the fruit can be er factors. If there is a fruit near this * reached easily in spraying and harvesting, leaf it will manufacture them more rap he is making the production of fruit more . idly because the finished sugars are stored economical; to this extent he is pruning in the fruit and cannot accumulate near for shape; certainly this type of pruning the leaf and slow up its activity. The tree FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 111 with fruit developing upon it manufac and yet the tree be unproductive because tures much more rapidly than the one of unsatisfactory pruning methods. without it, although it may not grow as Given a satisfactory root system to sup rapidly. The manufactured food may be port the top, let us see why it is possible used to enlarge the assembling plant (root for some trees to be unproductive. To system) or. the factory (leaf area), or do so it is necessary for us to examine the stored. If the assembling plant can col tree from a different point of view than lect more raw material from the soil than is usual arid I ask you to bear with me the leaf factory can use, then the manu during the short time that is available for factured food from the leaf is combined the discussion of this intricate subject. with the raw material (water, nitrogen, In the more recent discussions of horti etc.,) from the root system, and new shoot culturists it is common to find terms used growth is produced, enlarging the leaf which were unknown to those of an old area. Suppose you reduce leaf area by er school. One of these terms is fruit pruning away active leaves, the result is bud differentiation and another is car shoot growth and new leaves, and your bohydrate-nitrogen ratio. A third term, assembling plant and factory again are in fruit setting, has long been a familiar balance. Suppose your assembling plant term to fruit growers, although the fac breaks down or is reduced in area by root tors which govern it have not been thor pruning; then your factory (leaf area) oughly understood. It will be necessary has to run on part time (wilt or drop to explain these terms in order to under leaves) until the root system has been re stand what goes on in the tree when it generated. is pruned. Fruit bud differentiation is the It has been said that a people has as process which takes place when fruit buds good a government as they deserve; it are formed. All buds on a tree are poten may also be said that a tree has as large tially fruit buds, that is, any bud will if and as good a top as its root system can conditions are favorable develop flower support. Consequently the root system buds. If you will examine the spring should be as large and as healthy as pos growth of a mature orange tree a month sible, not injured in any way by poor or six weeks from now, cutting lengthwise drainage, too high a concentration of fer through the buds in the axils of the leaves tilizers, lack of food or root pruning. As with a sharp razor or microtome and suming that the root system is as large mounting the thin section on a slide, the and efficient as may be produced, then the small flower buds which would become top (leaf area and supporting branches) the next year's bloom may be easily dis will be capable of being equally as large tinguished.
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