What's going on in your garden (2018-2022)?

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FowlersFreeTime said:
Thanks for the tips! I feel bad to prune her, since she's enjoying a growth spurt in this summer weather, but I would feel worse if we get a Cat 1 or 2 and she blows over.
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Like I said, prune from the inside out. You don't need to make the tree smaller. You just need to make it catch less wind. Keep in mind that all those small branches in the center of the tree have nowhere to go, anyway. They have no future.

Here is a photo of my big Live Oak after a professional pruning. Notice how wind can blow right through it. I have it pruned by a Texas Certified Arborist every two years to make it storm resistant (and drought hardy).

BackYard.jpg


CD
 
caseydog said:
Like I said, prune from the inside out. You don't need to make the tree smaller. You just need to make it catch less wind. Keep in mind that all those small branches in the center of the tree have nowhere to go, anyway. They have no future.

Here is a photo of my big Live Oak after a professional pruning. Notice how wind can blow right through it. I have it pruned by a Texas Certified Arborist every two years to make it storm resistant (and drought hardy).

View attachment 67435

CD
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Oh, I definitely need to make it smaller as well, stupid me planted it too close to the fence line 7yrs ago 😅
I see what you mean about thinning the interior though. I have read that (in addition to allowing wind to flow through) doing so also promotes more sunlight coming through, so less chance of some problems like sooty mold.
 
Caseydog 's Live Oak looks really great and neatly pruned! Possibly to restrain the growth earlier(?), the branches split up from pretty much the same level which exposes the tree to tears and cracks. Still, oaks are resilient and have thick branches and multiple crowns/tree tops in natural habitats as well. This tree seems to make a beautiful roofing, it provides shade and makes and natural protective border for the garden. <Sigh>. Our gardens aren't well kept although my hubby went through the green thumb lane (gardening school etc.) as well during our younger years. I've always liked the images of CD's neat, compact garden with premeditated plant species and stylish plantings. What else could you expect from a professional in aesthetic photography 🏎️🌳.

Different species require different pruning techniques and pruning or cutting periods; e.g. genera Prunus (plums, cherries, hackberries/bird cherries), Acer (maples) and Betula (birches) shouldn't be cut in spring due to sap flow. In general, you should cut only whole branches (not just scattered withes) and leave a centimeter/half an inch -> 2.5 centimeters/1''-wide collar near the trunk, be aware of tears while cutting large branches (first make a semi-cut; cut halfway from the bottom up three to four inches out of the actual up-down cutting plane) and don't cut too many large (diameter over 5 cm/2'') branches during the same year - just two to four depending on the size of the tree. Large, sharp pruning shears or a curved pruning saw with a telescopic rod (pics below) are best for cutting trees.
sak.jpg
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You can prune all dried-up branches, competing tree tops (extra branches growing vertically next to the crown), the ones that block the foliage or intermingle with the trunk or collide with other branches, are directed too upward (sharp-angled branches are prone to break in storms or under snow; an angle slightly above horizontal is typically the best), straight downward or towards the trunk. Some trees (like hawthorns and white cedars) endure plentiful pruning, some (like plum trees and birches) prefer being untouched despite a few competing treetops or crooked branches.

Late summer is the best pruning time for most species: cuts heal rapidly and the weather (in Central and most of Northern Europe/North America) isn't too moist for mildew/mold to appear.

There are professional arborists but among gardening and environmental planning professionals, arborists are considered a variegated group of autodidact entrepreneurs, schooled experts and arduous charlatans or tree huggers/listeners who resemble horse whisperers and charge 150-200 €/$/£ an hour for a job which could easily be done by anyone. But yes, there are very experienced and distinguished arborists, who are called for, when e.g. the civil servants of my hometown have to decide whether to knock down a row of century old weeping willows - or just reshape them by a skilled arborist.
 
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FowlersFreeTime said:
Oh, I definitely need to make it smaller as well, stupid me planted it too close to the fence line 7yrs ago 😅
I see what you mean about thinning the interior though. I have read that (in addition to allowing wind to flow through) doing so also promotes more sunlight coming through, so less chance of some problems like sooty mold.
Click to expand...

Yes, it does allow more airflow and sunlight to get into the center of the tree. In Florida, that would be a good thing. In North Texas it is mostly the windstorms in warm months, and ice storms in our short winters that are tree killers.

CD
 
Hemulen said:
Caseydog 's Live Oak looks really great and neatly pruned! Possibly to restrain the growth earlier(?), the branches split up from pretty much the same level which exposes the tree to tears and cracks. Still, oaks are resilient and have thick branches and multiple crowns/tree tops in natural habitats as well. This tree seems to make a beautiful roofing, it provides shade and makes and natural protective border for the garden. <Sigh>. Our gardens aren't well kept although my hubby went through the green thumb lane (gardening school etc.) as well during our younger years. I've always liked the images of CD's neat, compact garden with premeditated plant species and stylish plantings. What else could you expect from a professional in aesthetic photography 🏎️🌳.

Different species require different pruning techniques and pruning or cutting periods; e.g. genera Prunus (plums, cherries, hackberries/bird cherries), Acer (maples) and Betula (birches) shouldn't be cut in spring due to sap flow. In general, you should cut only whole branches (not just scattered withes) and leave a centimeter/half an inch -> 2.5 centimeters/1''-wide collar near the trunk, be aware of tears while cutting large branches (first make a semi-cut; cut halfway from the bottom up three to four inches out of the actual up-down cutting plane) and don't cut too many large (diameter over 5 cm/2'') branches during the same year - just two to four depending on the size of the tree. Large, sharp pruning shears or a curved pruning saw with a telescopic rod (pics below) are best for cutting trees.
View attachment 67461View attachment 67460


You can prune all dried-up branches, competing tree tops (extra branches growing vertically next to the crown), the ones that block the foliage or intermingle with the trunk or collide with other branches, are directed too upward (sharp-angled branches are prone to break in storms or under snow; an angle slightly above horizontal is typically the best), straight downward or towards the trunk. Some trees (like hawthorns and white cedars) endure plentiful pruning, some (like plum trees and birches) prefer being untouched despite a few competing treetops or crooked branches.

Late summer is the best pruning time for most species: cuts heal rapidly and the weather (in Central and most of Northern Europe/North America) isn't too moist for mildew/mold to appear.

There are professional arborists but among gardening and environmental planning professionals, arborists are considered a variegated group of autodidact entrepreneurs, schooled experts and arduous charlatans or tree huggers/listeners who resemble horse whisperers and charge 150-200 €/$/£ an hour for a job which could easily be done by anyone. But yes, there are very experienced and distinguished arborists, who are called for, when e.g. the civil servants of my hometown have to decide whether to knock down a row of century old weeping willows - or just reshape them by a skilled arborist.
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Thanks for the compliments. I try to plant native for everything, because of the droughts we have in Texas.

Live oaks are a rather interesting oak species. They are native to the Southern US, and are evergreens. They have a massive leaf drop in the spring (around March), but new leaves come out at the same time, so they are never bare. The shape of my live oak is very common -- wider than tall. If you prune to keep them wind resistant, and keep the excess weight off, the branches are very strong.

A lot of pruning is small branches on the inside that start, and can't make it, so they become deadwood.

In Texas, we have Texas Certified Arborists. That is the question you always ask when hiring -- "Are you a Texas Certified Arborist?" In Frisco, if they are not a Texas Certified Arborist, they can not legally go up into a tree to do pruning. They have to work from the ground with pole saws. The certified pros rig ropes, and wear harness, to climb up the trees to do their pruning work. There is no way I'm climbing a tree at age 60 with a chainsaw and hand saw on my belt.

Here is a photo (not mine) of the famous "Oak Alley" plantation near New Orleans. These are live oaks at their finest.

Screen Shot 2021-07-18 at 1.04.05 AM.jpg


CD
 
caseydog said:
Thanks for the compliments. I try to plant native for everything, because of the droughts we have in Texas.

Live oaks are a rather interesting oak species. They are native to the Southern US, and are evergreens. They have a massive leaf drop in the spring (around March), but new leaves come out at the same time, so they are never bare. The shape of my live oak is very common -- wider than tall. If you prune to keep them wind resistant, and keep the excess weight off, the branches are very strong.

CD
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It took me years of living here in Florida to understand that my allergy season coincides with this exact phase of local Oak lifecycle. Despite my allergies, I still appreciate their beauty and shade.
 
FowlersFreeTime said:
It took me years of living here in Florida to understand that my allergy season coincides with this exact phase of local Oak lifecycle. Despite my allergies, I still appreciate their beauty and shade.
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Live oak pollen does not effect me much from an allergy point of view. It does turn every horizontal surface in my yard and on my patio yellow.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Like I said, prune from the inside out. You don't need to make the tree smaller. You just need to make it catch less wind. Keep in mind that all those small branches in the center of the tree have nowhere to go, anyway. They have no future.

Here is a photo of my big Live Oak after a professional pruning. Notice how wind can blow right through it. I have it pruned by a Texas Certified Arborist every two years to make it storm resistant (and drought hardy).

View attachment 67435

CD
Click to expand...

I never thought about the inner limbs as well, makes sense, we get winds but not as high as you guys I think.

Russ
 
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