Am I the only person pruning ....

[MartreCycle]

Spent an afternoon pruning oaks - 4-7ft in height - trying to give them some "form"

plus pruning off branches from birch - to increase access / give "form" and let some light in.

From 'jungle' to order in an afternoon.

Anyone else pruning ?

[davetb]

Hi,

No time for pruning ..... too busy trying to make a dry wood store and log some wood for winter. Dave

[Kris Hemin]

Yeah, I prune. Well, it gives you something to do whilst you talk to the trees! Seriously, though, it's productive - piles of useful twigs - keeps paths open and allows you to feel like a forester. I speak as one who started from scratch, ie fields and a forestry commission grant to plant native deciduous woodland, so I've been evolving a relationship. I'd say make sure you don't end up with lollipops, though, as natural form is an important part of you end product.

[splodger]

we prune constantly - when time allows - but other jobs do have a habit of interrupting best laid plans

[carlight]

was really hoping that some one else would bring this up ,(or should i change my username to 'controversial !?) ;

Am i the only person who is a tad flumoxed by the thought of pruning outside of the 'close' season , ie winter ? Sort of goes against the grain ,for an old fart like me .

Would also feel that ,oaks in particular, are epicormic demons when pruned as juveniles .

[carlight]

so , i am the only person flumoxed by the thought of pruning oaks in the summer ?

(or is this thread actually a secret spy communication - "the geese fly south by night " and all that ! )

[The Barrowers]

Hello,

Maybe I am old fashioned, using fullstops and other items in writing.

I also thought trees grew naturally.

The Barrowers

[coppiceer]

Trees that you want to be of some financial reward need to be pruned. Particularly for those people who planted at 3-metre spacings, as the resulting high levels of light cause heavy side branches to form.

Trees that are required for amenity/wildlife/nurse value need only be pruned if they are getting out of hand or as a training excercise.

[The Barrowers]

Thanks.

So should we be pruning with the coppice regrowth of overstood sweet chestnut (which is doing very well out in the open)? We are restocking at 2 metre or thereabouts with new trees to infill.

Regards to all, The Barrowers.

[Twybill]

There's nothing wrong with pruning Oaks whilst the leaves are still on. Only time to leave alone is in the first flush in Spring, when the tree is expending a lot of energy. Also it is traditional not to prune after Lammas, 31st July, as any regrowth does not have the time to harden off before Winter.

The best way to produce 'form' is to grow Oaks well apart and keep the side branches on. Unless you are growing for timber with clean stems, I find most woods are far too densely planted.

MartreCycle; have you considered starting some pollards. This would give the trees plenty of form!