Pruning All aboutfor the gardening lychee tree tree strength Pruning methods
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GOOD day, gardeners! Pruning ByGOOD ADAM BOORMAN •Time day, gardeners! flies, can be a very important part of keepTribune Features Reporter • I yes?a Time is subjective also.garden. Had ing healthy and balanced acadet@tribunemedia.net planted isa the lychee Pruning act of(Litchi cuttingchinensis off tips, Sonn/Nephelium litchihad branches, stems parts of Cambess) athe treefirst or NOW that weorhave from seed 15 the orseason 20 years ago, I might astorm shrub, goal of strengthenofwith the pass through, have a few lychee fruit from that tree ing those remain. pruning isthat again on my to-do list in byAnyone now to enjoy. Until then, they are a who grows a good the garden. We had some small rose, trees demanding shade tree at best.pruning will know about proper getNot blown down in that (fortunately) particularly fast growing, the timing and methods. There areand many weak tropical system Isaias, it lycheereasons takes its time toand mature, and good to prune there are reminds me that tree pruning needs this isbad theexamples reason of that air layering many about to continue. It is alsopruning a great exists. Commercially, they are time laytown. I’ve talked about pruning to prune hedges, shrubs, perennials, ered for propagation as they grow trees by thinning through the middle and anything branching. of a strong enough rootstockMuch by that to allow airflow and pruning the garden should be growing quite method and remain true to type.weak It is angles with the aimofto leave only quickly atthe this time year. If your said that choicest varieties have branches that haveinaoffspring 45-degree garden not growing quickly quality, itangle may greater isvariation at the crotch (the where the be worth doing some fertilizing to and that the seed of place the lychee is only branch meets the trunk). Anything green boost branching, flowerviable and for four to five days, so it is not under degrees prone For to breaking and45root development. those something that isisrecommended to age, highsources wind. buyusespecially from overown the of that unknown are in relegated to our What about shrubs? aspread different internet. Itodohelp not have It’s 15 or 20 years property stem the of story pruning Tomato waitthan on those fruit,aclippers, if tree. you have got COVID-19, get your hedge toes, different storythey again. As we kids, awell, eventually may thank shears, saws or scissors out and get are ready you not for quite planting someforof tomatoes them. It trimming! yet, arenot ontohurt cue. Ia must begin certainly does plantthings them It’sshrubs important do to few with the every over-used and ubiquitous anyway; every one correctly whentree it benefits comes to prunof us. Ficus macrocarpa ‘Green Island’. ing larger trees, and even medium If you seeking fruitfrom intoa They are are often pruned regularly and small trees willlychee benefit faster time frame though, and if you maintain a desirable shape and size, these steps. Primarily, it is all about havebranching space forlow only a tree or two espeusually quite at around two to the angles. Wider angles cially, do not even bother with seeding four feet as a hedge, or taller as a make for stronger branching. Tighter them. Layer fromora friend or Here’s neighscreen, espalier topiary. angles make for weak branching. bour’s treethough; or buy these from ashrubs reputable the thing are Early corrective pruning when the supplier.pruned Now, don’t get upset with me usually only at the tips of the tree is young is the efficient way to if you’ve just seeded some and you’ve branches, usually very prevent much heavier work in the got the space to plant them and let future. Try grow to encourage the crotch them grow, them! angles on trees branches to very be at Lychee are not saltleast tol45 degrees from the upright, main erant or wind tolerant and they are trunk, up toin90a protected degrees. location This is best planted especially to preferably create wind with full tobeneficial part shade, in tolerance a relatively(hurricane deep soil alley….!), base. Theyand are particularly that a strong tree with with afruit slow trees to medium bear more than average growth rateweight and they havethe a relatively non-fruiting Allowing wind to thick foliage tree. to make a medium to easily through shade, a tree isbut always heavy move low hanging they are work highlythat susceptible to the nutrient less cleaning up mess deficiencies, OK? The of the left from a tree that thehistory wind moved distribution of the through. lychee is complex rather than moved and quite fascinating if you are up for Always remove dead wood from a follow read, cite thewood first refertrees andup shrubs. Dead adds ence noted below. unnecessary weight, wind resistance The soils in ourpests archipelago are and it can harbour and disease. (generallyenjoy and dead variably) alkaline Termites wood as well! and lychee’s range is anasacidic Where to cutnative is as important how to cut. For trees, the final cut after branch removal should be made at the branch collar so that the tree can
Friday, August 20, 2021
An example of a weak branch angle susceptible to splitting. This type of branch should be removed.
Adam Boorman quickly and they often the At wrong base properly where canwith thrive. the heal without allowing for tools. Redlands in South Florida there are pests or disease to intrude. Here are IF left too long, pruning can get very messy. Many folkspointers will out the hedge lychee groves thatpull are highly prosome helpful for pruning: shears or electric or gas-powered ductive in the good years (they are • Dead, dying or unsightly twigs and it’s all but ineffective. When a third of the branches and cut them apparently andthe when trimmer or quite shearscyclical), and scalp top hedge shears are used to trim the back to half the size. Do this three and branches. I was roaming theeffect area may a of the plant. The look • Sprouts growing near the base of tops and sides of a Ficus ‘Green times a year and you’ll be amazed few weeks ago the good, aesthetically, for atrees short while, Island’, there is created a green shell at how thick and lush these plants the trunk. wereit is loaded, the way fruit-to prune. but not thebut correct SLOW to grow and a deestablishment. If there are noto native branch- location can be. away Shrubs are wind meant have Crossed and branches of foliage around a hectic from and salt a reputaing•proper seasonpruning inbranches thatoflocation manding tree, you than willBasically, have In shrubs there is ing Other pruning, it is still a trees in your yard, please consider system. a messy tangle foliage throughout, not only at the growing toward the centre of the supplier, spray. Choose an area with deep soils is finished now.rule Theofcurrent earned the of your suc- for ble a general thumb called very active season garden pests. planting one or more, if you the of fruits branches underneath a thin layer branch tips. Agive good place tohave look for tree. if possible and them ample supor to air issue now for lychee in the cess if you cultivate lychee. the ‘1/3 rule’, that essentially If you’re practicing a good IPM space. If you do not have space for of shiny green foliage. I recently diagrams or picture representations • Narrow crotches. If it is possible plemental nutrients throughout the layer a new region (other statesthan thattoonomuch more than (integrated pestofmanagement) pro- year. aisnative tree or more, native shrubs had the joy(!) rectifying rose This can setregion a good to doand so without ruining the appearAs pruning. with anything in our tree a hedge from heat humidity) is aa mite one third of shrub should gramme, hopefully all of your garden will encourage balance in the garden of this plant that had for years been there method for other shrubs. The wood ance thebetree, remove one of the will be pest problems, but I an existing that isofaffecting groves. The pruned off at any one istrimmed not negatively by them at have onlyThe on affected the sides and tops. needs to noticed beaspruned, not the soft folijust asnot well native trees. anything to attack fruiting tree. fruits can be quite members forming the weak crotch. mite at issue is called the Erinose time. was in a Continue mess. Because theasshrubs age surrounding wood. thisIt point. to monitor for the I lychee wish you all the of the best during to the point where drassize and texture, well mite. helps It creates galls onfuture the leaf and variable This to prevent storm were notand pruned according the tic Landscapers (you knowKeep I love crawling flying insects pests. these difficult isand trying times. remediation necessary. anI in the time of year that and theyto fruit is supposedly quite difficult to eradi- as damage. ‘1/3As rule’, there wasreference maybe an inch eye y’all, are guilty of on still) your young andgarden, trypoor to per the initial noted As earlier mentioned, it may be time encourage you tooften gettrees into the cate. It is microscopic too small • Multiple leaders. and If more than in. leaf a medium green colour, are many varieties that keep andget a there half two inches of foliage pruning methods, usually in to see by eye, but gallsononathe leaf of below, to someor plant nutrients down get tothe pruning and trimming, get the to one leader develops tree that some colour variation been prized in its native ranges lychee will thestem, presence of have three inches of tan- even namethough of saving time. Money says get that tosurrounding support stronger pest resistance, fertilizing where necessary, and normally hasconfirm a single cut out between theGreen named varieties. China, but theythick are limited as to them. of my knowledge gled, crossed, branches in exists eight out of 10 Island Ficus wind resistance, branching, rootto composting. Please, plant a native all but To onethe to best encourage the tree to in growth Happy gardening, and one as to always, is available commercially even and research, wePlant do not yet have what the flowering, middle of and the hedge. They had hedges or shrubs that cantrees find ing, fruiting except if tree or shrub. Pay attention develop its normal shape. is a balance between they arehas grown through Asia, the present in may the though outgrown their space, and so when I good will luck! be a shell of foliage outside of your fruit tree fruit on it now. If when they are young to avoid prob• Erionose Remove mite branches that what is above Southern Africa, and in the AmeriBahamas.into potential began trimming back to it size, it the was lems a thicket ofthem woody branches. These your tree has fruit left on after with in the future. As develop hazards such ground, and what Adam Boorman the nursery and have been are grown successfully to cas such ablew drastic casebeing that had toa take plants• can look sohappy muchis gardening! better, but it wind through, waitItransported until few always, I wish you as Lychee low-hanging branches thatground. interis below manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. hundreds of years. Theofflychee our north and south, and there are for them right back and cut much takes time, and the correct toolsYou and weeks after the fruiting has finished fere with traffic and weakened or Prune off too can contact him with any questions a grand history, that would. again I As sug-I pruning large fruiting trees right here in New has more than I normally methods to achieve a show to begin adding nutrients. Fruiting • Adam Boorman is the nursery dead branches that may break. much you may have,or or hedge. topics you would taking a few minutes to read Providence. It is possible to and growthe a gest began pruning back to keep them manager winning shrub Prune the trees a different fertilizat the like FoxtoHill You • Single branches other than plant canitthe go seeNursery. discussed, at onneed if youquite are interested. To confruiting lychee tree, but as usual, is up within the than bounds that they trees. were wood, not thehim leaves! ing routine non-fruiting can contact with any questions leader sometimes develop faster into shock gardening242@gmail.com. recommended to either source from clude, plant lychee in a protected desired,trees I took off several inches of As may always, happy typically do not need you have, Ior wish topics you you would than the rest of the tree.and They need Native attempt it, to find that it was only wood with gardening. to be fertilized, except maybe when to be cut back to allow the tree to like to see discussed, at to heal by zero foliage in the middle the develop its normalpushing shape. out verti- young to promote stronger andof faster gardening242@gmail.com. • Adam Boorman is the nursery cal, upright quick plant. The customer was left with a manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You growth (or in can contact him with any questions some cases enter woody hedge with almost no foliyou may have, or topics you would a die back stage). age. Fortunately, Green Island Ficus like to see discussed, at Prune off too little grow back very quickly. Prune the branches, not only the foliage. Take gardening242@gmail.com.
