I've been reading up on pruning a bit.

I've learned that you can prune off a, I'll call it
a "side branch", right close to where it branches
off from it's "parent" branch, just as long as
you do it beyond that bulging-out mass where it
branches off -- that bulging-out mass is made of
protective cells that can isolate the cut from
the other side of the bulge, thus protecting the tree.

Here's my question:

You have this bush with a branch that's 5 or 6 feet long,
is by the side of a path or sidewalk, and sticks out
into the sidewalk by, say, 2 feet or so.

The nearest "bulge" (ie safe) cut-point is way back at
the trunk, four or more feet from the sidewalk edge (where
it's not bothering anyone) -- so you'd like to cut it there,
at the sidewalk edge.

You don't really want to cut it way back at the trunk, because
you loose not only the long branch that's bothering no one,
but ALSO all the branches that come off IT.



So, that's my question. What do I do?

Thanks,

David

David Combs wrote:
....
You have this bush with a branch that's 5 or 6 feet long,
is by the side of a path or sidewalk, and sticks out
into the sidewalk by, say, 2 feet or so.
....
You don't really want to cut it way back at the trunk, because
you loose not only the long branch that's bothering no one,
but ALSO all the branches that come off IT.
....
So, that's my question. What do I do?
....

Depends in part on what the bush is; different things tend to regrow in
different ways, but--

In general, if you take the whole branch it will fill back in again --
how long depends on how fast-growing the particular specimen is.

You can trim at the desired boundary or inside somewhat and most
decorative plantings will sprout new growth at that point. The
difficulty there is you now have a new generation point that's not that
far removed from the limiting place.

So, in general, it's better to trim back farther and let regrow and then
keep trimmed _before_ such drastic trimback is necessary. That of
course, is on the same order as New Year's resolutions...

--

In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

I've been reading up on pruning a bit.

I've learned that you can prune off a, I'll call it
a "side branch", right close to where it branches
off from it's "parent" branch, just as long as
you do it beyond that bulging-out mass where it
branches off -- that bulging-out mass is made of
protective cells that can isolate the cut from
the other side of the bulge, thus protecting the tree.

Here's my question:

You have this bush with a branch that's 5 or 6 feet long,
is by the side of a path or sidewalk, and sticks out
into the sidewalk by, say, 2 feet or so.

The nearest "bulge" (ie safe) cut-point is way back at
the trunk, four or more feet from the sidewalk edge (where
it's not bothering anyone) -- so you'd like to cut it there,
at the sidewalk edge.

You don't really want to cut it way back at the trunk, because
you loose not only the long branch that's bothering no one,
but ALSO all the branches that come off IT.



So, that's my question. What do I do?

Thanks,

David

Cut it just beyond the last inoffensive sub branch that comes off it.
IOW, prune as though the big branch was the "side branch" and the small
one was the "parent branch."

Thanks much for those two suggestions!

Now I can go back to work!

David


FIRST-PS: Oh, I've been reading that you're supposed to hold
off pruning until the end of winter or during the early
spring.

What problem from doing it at other times, eg now?

David



SECOND-PS: When wallking my doggie (super cute bijon) I often
notice short hedges (4 feet high, 5 feet?) in which, you know,
the leaves on these hedges, so as to get the sun, grow only
on the outside "surface", with only "naked" branches on the
"inside".

Looks like what happened sometimes is that bushy-leafy end
protruded out beyond (into the sidewalk, maybe), and they
pruned off the extending-out-too-far part, leaving
just a, well, "stick" (no leaves anywhere nearby)
going back to a "parent" (often the bushes' "trunk") --
looks horrible.

So, you're (well, one of you is) saying that they
should have cut off the entire branch, back at its
origin.

(assuming no branch-points leading to leafy branches on
other parts of the "surface".)

Yes? (I'm just trying to verify (or disprove) my understanding
of your suggestions.)


THANKS!


David

In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

Thanks much for those two suggestions!

Now I can go back to work!

David


FIRST-PS: Oh, I've been reading that you're supposed to hold
off pruning until the end of winter or during the early
spring.

What problem from doing it at other times, eg now?

David



SECOND-PS: When wallking my doggie (super cute bijon) I often
notice short hedges (4 feet high, 5 feet?) in which, you know,
the leaves on these hedges, so as to get the sun, grow only
on the outside "surface", with only "naked" branches on the
"inside".

Looks like what happened sometimes is that bushy-leafy end
protruded out beyond (into the sidewalk, maybe), and they
pruned off the extending-out-too-far part, leaving
just a, well, "stick" (no leaves anywhere nearby)
going back to a "parent" (often the bushes' "trunk") --
looks horrible.

So, you're (well, one of you is) saying that they
should have cut off the entire branch, back at its
origin.

(assuming no branch-points leading to leafy branches on
other parts of the "surface".)

Yes? (I'm just trying to verify (or disprove) my understanding
of your suggestions.)


THANKS!


David

You might be overthinking this thing. I prune when I feel like it, and
it's not been problematic. Now if you're talking about roses or some
other finicky thing, then I'd stick with the recommended season.

Hedges are pruned to shape without regard to where the branches get cut.
They can look naked if reshaped or allowed to get too long before
pruning, but will soon refill with outer green.

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

Thanks much for those two suggestions!

Now I can go back to work!

David


FIRST-PS: Oh, I've been reading that you're supposed to hold
off pruning until the end of winter or during the early
spring.

What problem from doing it at other times, eg now?

David



SECOND-PS: When wallking my doggie (super cute bijon) I often
notice short hedges (4 feet high, 5 feet?) in which, you know,
the leaves on these hedges, so as to get the sun, grow only
on the outside "surface", with only "naked" branches on the
"inside".

Looks like what happened sometimes is that bushy-leafy end
protruded out beyond (into the sidewalk, maybe), and they
pruned off the extending-out-too-far part, leaving
just a, well, "stick" (no leaves anywhere nearby)
going back to a "parent" (often the bushes' "trunk") --
looks horrible.

So, you're (well, one of you is) saying that they
should have cut off the entire branch, back at its
origin.

(assuming no branch-points leading to leafy branches on
other parts of the "surface".)

Yes? (I'm just trying to verify (or disprove) my understanding
of your suggestions.)


THANKS!


David

You might be overthinking this thing. I prune when I feel like it, and
it's not been problematic. Now if you're talking about roses or some
other finicky thing, then I'd stick with the recommended season.

Hedges are pruned to shape without regard to where the branches get cut.
They can look naked if reshaped or allowed to get too long before
pruning, but will soon refill with outer green.

The landscape guy on ATOH house addressed this in one of the road trip
segments. He recommended thinning the branches on the sunward side of a
hedge, so light could get to the interior, and avoid that dead zone look
when you do lop off the ones that block the sidewalk. Of course, he has
been doing it for decades and can 'seat of the pants' the cutting
decisions with no problems, based on what looks right. Us dilettantes
have to just swag it. I have the same problem on the bush I have to
square off a couple times a year to get the car past it into the garage
without scratching the paint. Yeah, it looks funny- one flat face, and
natural on the other sides. I also keep a 2x2 section trimmed to have a
semi-hidden spot to keep the trash dumpster. Trimming is less work than
building a fence, I guess.

--
aem sends...

David Combs wrote:

Thanks much for those two suggestions!

Now I can go back to work!

David


FIRST-PS: Oh, I've been reading that you're supposed to hold
off pruning until the end of winter or during the early
spring.

What problem from doing it at other times, eg now?

David



Depends on the plant .. some should be pruned after blooming, as new
growth has
to go through a freeze cycle in order to bloom. Pruning too late can
cause new growth
to freeze and die.


SECOND-PS: When wallking my doggie (super cute bijon) I often
notice short hedges (4 feet high, 5 feet?) in which, you know,
the leaves on these hedges, so as to get the sun, grow only
on the outside "surface", with only "naked" branches on the
"inside".

Looks like what happened sometimes is that bushy-leafy end
protruded out beyond (into the sidewalk, maybe), and they
pruned off the extending-out-too-far part, leaving


That sounds like plants that have not been pruned at all, only clipped
in the same
place for many seasons. Trimming to a geometric shape rather than
pruning to
a natural shape will eventually cause new growth only on the surface.
The effect
of cutting at the end of the limb on most plants causes new growth at
the bud
just behind the cut, which in turn shades the rest of the plant and
prohibits new
growth lower down the limb.

We have hedges around our condo, about 40 years old, which developed very
thick limbs because of this. We had to really mutilate them, cutting
back some
of the thick limbs to the stump, to get them to fill in decently. Most
should be
PRUNED about every 2 or 3 years in order to keep new growth coming along.

just a, well, "stick" (no leaves anywhere nearby)
going back to a "parent" (often the bushes' "trunk") --
looks horrible.

So, you're (well, one of you is) saying that they
should have cut off the entire branch, back at its
origin.

(assuming no branch-points leading to leafy branches on
other parts of the "surface".)

Yes? (I'm just trying to verify (or disprove) my understanding
of your suggestions.)


Not all shrubs/bushes/small trees should be pruned with same methods.
Best to
get info specific to the variety - lots of info on extension service
websites.


THANKS!


David