Planting Specifications

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This section should help you to read and create planting specifications

Why Prune?

  • Remove dead wood

  • Increase safety

  • Increase resilience to storms

  • Increase clearance underneath

  • Topiary

  • Promote Fruiting

  • Increase airflow and reduce fungal infections

  • Hedging

  • Improve aesthetic

  • Pleaching

Structural Pruning - Reduction Cuts

The objective is to reduce the size of the tree without compromising its future structure. It can be performed after a tree has already become larger than desired. This might be performed for aesthetic reasons but also for safety. By bringing foliage back in closer to the centre of the tree you are reducing the forces applied to the branch. This can be a good way to reduce chances of limb loss in storms.

In this method we cut back to a union where another branch starts or right back to the trunk.

 

Promoting Fruiting

Can be used to increase yield and also to increase the yield in spots that are easy to pick.

Technique - Small Aesthetic Trees

  • Ensure tools are sharp and fit for purpose.  Clean all tools between specimens. 

  • Pruning immediately above the collar

  • Prune off deadwood 

  • Prune out diseased matter 

  • Create consistent form or habit 

  • Standard spacing between branches 

  • Reduction cuts to bring in branches 

  • Remove branches that are more than 60% of diameter of trunk 

Copartmentalisation

Session Outline

  • Why prune?

  • Methods of pruning

  • Reduction pruning

  • Aesthetic pruning

  • Fruiting promotion

Resources

Australian Standard 4373-2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees - Standards Australia

Plant Specifications Database - James Urban

Presentations


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