Pruning close to winter

Bermy

Acolyte of the short bar
Joined
May 3, 2008
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Tasmania
Ok, I'm still a bit new to this whole proper four seasons thing...it's getting well into autumn here, A big old ash tree that I had been looking at for a while has just come my way.
I had left my card at the house when I saw a big branch had broken out up top.
Yesterday the owner stopped me outside the store and said he's like to get the branch cut out and the weight reduced on the bigger limbs.
Thing is the tree is just starting to change colour on the inner branches...

My gut says leave it till its naked, but I'll be unavailable in about three weeks, and not able to get back to it for a couple months at least.

By the time I'm back to climbing it will be late winter/early spring...
He's waited this long...

What would you do?
 
I'd rather prune it now than early spring, but I don't worry too much when I prune Ash anyway.
 
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  • #8
Plenty frost in Tasmania Max! -2c forecast for Monday...

Thanks guys, I'll book it in for next week :)
 
To continue this topic, but more general, when is good time to prune and when is it a no-no? I have a client with several maples to trim, and I am not sure when I should do them I was thinking after it gets leaves (early summer) or after they drop (late fall). But this not based on any actual knowledge. ..
 
My old boss would not prune UNTIL the leave were out on maples and walnut as in the spring they bleed like stuck pigs when the sap is rising.
I've heard on other forums from people who seem to know their onions that there is no damage to the tree in doing this but it does look a bit dramatic when it's dripping out of every cut, plus if you're above expensive ornamental stuff it could possibly stain it.
 
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  • #13
Like anything observing whats going on around you is crucial, working strictly by the book is too confining, that said, these are some of the 'rules of thumb' I was taught:

Phenological cycles...the spring drawdown on energy (starch) produced in summer and stored in winter...and the autumn shutdown of photosynthesis and storage of energy (starch) produced in summer. Timing pruning so as not to interrupt that cycle too much is important.

I prefer to prune in summer as the tree is actively photosynthesising, technically more able to initiate wound closure and defense mechanisms, and still photosynthesise enough starch to compensate for lost leaf area and store it for the future... however in winter it's easier to see things.

As a general rule don't prune heavily when trees are starting to drop, or just before leaf break out.
I realize there are some P&D with which I am not familiar that are more active in summer...got to know what's floating about out there!

At bud break trees are drawing on stored starch reserves to grow new leaves and recombine chlorophyll, it's like a loan from the bank, betting that it will be repaid in summer when the leaves are at full production, too much pruning then removes stored reserves and can cause the tree to 'work extra hard' to compensate and produce enough excess for the rest of the summer.

Mass:Energy Ratio. How much energy is a tree able to produce in order to support its mass...this concept matters more and more the older a tree gets, as well as its condition, drought, diseased etc...the 25% of live canopy may be WAY too much for a veteran tree, and for a young, healthy active tree you could bump it up higher...
 
Depends on the objective. Early in season is good if you want more plant growth, late in season if reduction is your goal.

There are few no-no times. O and Bermie knows her onions! ?
 
Isn't the old farmers saying if the month has an r in the name it's safe to prune? I think


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  • #18
Well, I pruned the ash yesterday...it's that big that I don't think the amount of material I took off will make much of a difference.
We had a frost between when I looked at it and when I did it...leaves started turning colour pretty quick!

Besides it overhung the public nature strip so they had a liability issue with the broken hung up branches in it too.
Be interesting to see how it goes with winter winds, big new gap in it from the broken branches.
 
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  • #20
Yeah, I think so...my pics are large, when I reduce them I'll post a few.
 
Isn't the old fisherman's saying if the month has an r in the name it's safe to eat the oysters?
 
Other then species/disease specific instances the main caveat I have is pruning a lot in the fall. If you prune enough to stimulate growth it may not have enough time to "harden" before a freeze. That new growth may freeze and dieback.

Otherwise, you can effect the flowering and fruiting cycles too.
 
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