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How or IF I should prune this tree in my yard?

14 years ago

I bought this house in September 09 and this tree on my property looks like it hasn't been trimmed back in many years. A few months ago I had to trim the long branches back that were leaning against my house. Then in the winter all the leaves started to turn reddish-brown and fall off. Then when it was nearly free of leaves out of nowhere all these flowers bloomed on the tree. My pool is completely caked with these flowers. I thought I would go through and start trimming all the branches back, removing everything and then in the spring the tree would bloom much less congested and clean fresh branches.

Then I realized I have NO idea what I am doing and I could (or did) kill this tree.

I want to know, how (or should) I trim this tree back so that it grows properly in the spring? I wouldn't mind trimming this thing down to practically naked, it will be a lot of work and a lot of trash cans full of leaves, flowers, branches, but I will. So can someone give me advice, I REALLY appreciate it!

As you can see, I cleaned the bottom branches down to clean and nothing on them. I tried to keep them from touching each other and trimmed a lot of the thin tiny branches, but left the big ones.

Full Sized Image here http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bgNzcWngJ2FJLp-kHAs-2Q?feat=directlink

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Comments (5)

brandon7 TN_zone7
14 years ago
Hmmm...I may just be sleepy (it is pretty late), but I really don't understand what you are saying you already did (and when you did it) or exactly what you are proposing to do. I did notice you saying, "I have NO idea what I am doing and I could (or did) kill this tree." That statement alone, makes me say, "Stop pruning until you have a good plan!" Also, I noticed that the lower branches on your tree look as if they have been headed back (big, big no-no)!

Can you post some more pictures (maybe some closeups too) that show what you have already done and maybe explain a little more?

Here's the original picture for everyone's convenience:

{{gwi:332117}}
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
based on that one pic...

that is an overly mature tree that is most likely overgrown for a very small yard that is filled with a large pool ...

most likely.. it has to go ... if you want to avoid the pool issue ...

first ID the tree .. give us pix of the leaves and flowers... we can do that ....

and .. as noted.. more pix of the overall tree

if those bottom branches do NOT leaf out.. they need to be removed at the trunk ..

if it were me.. and my presumptions correct .... i would consider some new plants .... planted this year.. with a 3 to 5 year plan to remove the larger ..... that would give the replacements some time to get moving [established] before the other is removed....

good luck

ken
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beany's out of league on this one ... dont remove more than 1/3 of the canopy ... in the pic.. at least everything below the top of the black stuff or water.. whatever that is ... and maybe one or two more ... then let it go .. and maybe take another one or two in fall .. i am not one much to having a best time of year for pruning... except maybe red oak .... its usually done when it pisses me off.. or when i walk by with the saw .... i might look the rest of the way up 8 feet or so.. and snip out a few of the tiny branches .. kinda thinning up to my goal... without waiting until i get that high ... bet this thing puts on 3 feet of growth this year... cant think you can go wrong... short of pruning it up 11 feet ... lol just look at the structure as a whole... take the bottom ones.. and think about your pruning for the next 3 years.. and see if any whim hits you .. ken
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What you have is a whip - a very young tree with not yet any lateral branches developed. The suggestion you received is pretty standard for newly planted whips and is worth following as it encourages the development of a strong branch system. And that's were the fruit will grow. What you want to do is make a heading cut where you want the branching to begin and just above one of the buds. You do not need to take it down as far as they said - that is normally the practice for semi-dwarf or larger growing trees. And you don't want this tree to start to set any fruit until it develops a proper habit with some branches and a basic structure. So remove any flowers for at the least the first few years. And you should continue pruning in subsequent years but not in this same manner. This is pretty much a one time shot. You might want to research apple pruning or maybe a local nursery or your extension service has classes you can attend. Apples need routine, preferably annual, pruning to stimulate and encourage the development of fruiting spurs or those little nubby protuberances that the fruit grows on. 6-8' is really short for a dwarf apple. I'm thinking this is a mini dwarf, which only get around 6' tall - dwarfs typically get about 8-10'. Do you have another apple for cross pollination?
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Removing the already dead section will have no effect on future development - the plant isn't using the dead parts anymore.
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Much more information is needed for a recommendation.

Brandon, are you going to ISA in Chicago?

Dan
Embothrium
14 years ago
Some kind of deciduous stone fruit, like a cherry. If you are bothered by the fallen petals, you really won't like it if it ever has a good crop of fruit.

I was once approached - while gazing upon some Japanese flowering cherry street trees of a locally rare variety - by a duffer with a flat-top haircut and an artificial lawn and no trees or shrubs who hoped I was there to cut the trees down.

You see, the fallen petals made "an awful mess" and he just had to get his blower out each year and blow them away.

In Japan there is a tradition of setting out blankets in front of flowering cherry trees, having a picnic and gazing upon the falling petals etc.

To become comfortable with the situation you either remove the tree to accommodate your existing point of view or change the way you think about it and keep the tree.
Embothrium
14 years ago
and the tree litter is clogging the filter then you are pretty much forced to cut the tree down.

You only want plants with big parts that do not get sucked into filters near swimming pools.

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