Horticulture/Pruning

Pruning is the removal of plant material in order to improve the shape and/or health of a plant. Herbaceous plant pruning: Woody plant pruning: Terms: Leader: A main branch, generally vertical and with side branches (laterals). Lateral: A horizonally held branch coming off a leader. Sucker: New stems or trunks emerging from therootstock of a tree or shrub. Water sprout: Vertical branches arising from a lateral. Crotch: Where two branches are connected at the base Included bark: Bark that is squeezed between two branches within a narrow crotch. Branch collar: A (generally raised) area on a large branch where the xylem and phloem go around a smaller branch. Cambium: The growing tissue between the bark and the wood. Dormant bud: Buds on branches or trunks that are not active and generally are not obviously visible on the bark. Bleeding: Loss of sap due to unhealed cuts and/or diseased tissues. Stub: Part of a branch that remains after the main part is removed by pruning or other causes. Types: Coppicing: Cutting a tree or shrub to the ground or nearly so. Thinning: Reducing the density of branches to allow air or light to penetrate the canopy. Fine pruning: A pruning technique where cuts are "hidden" as much as possible in order to leave the tree or shrub looking as if it naturally grew to the resulting form. Shearing: Cutting all the branches of a shrub or hedge back to a set line. Topping: Cutting the branches of large trees back to a set line Pollarding: Limbing Candling Order of business: Deadwood Damaged and diseased branches Rubbing branches Crossing branches Branches in the way Reduction Aeration Symmetry and form