AcerAddict
Shohin
Now didn't people say earlier in the thread not to do big cuts during the growing season because the tree would leak sap everywhere?
Pruning after leaf drop or late winter??
- Thread starter Joe Dupre'
- Start date
Joe Dupre'
Masterpiece
More than one way.............in most things.
AcerAddict
Shohin
Indeed sir. I think everyone in this thread wins no matter which way they go. Just cut, paste, and keep on truckin'.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Think Memorial Day, late May. Sap better distributed thru the tree. Shouldn't weep.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
They might have sad that but they would mostly be wrong.
The biggest risk of bleeding is for a number of species (In the acer, Betula, Carpinus families) in later winter, before growth has started. Think maple sirop time.
Once the tree has a full head of leaves risk of bleeding is minimal (Except for some conifers, which will bleed anytime).
Bleeding is not a problem by the way. It is just water with a few sugers and salts. Nothing major. It is not blood. It is water.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
My experience is the same as @leatherback Trimming early in winter results in little or no sap bleed. The same trim closer to bud burst results in sap leaking all down the trunk, sometimes for several days.
@LanceMac10 post about root trimming is also my experience. A badly bleeding maple stops right away if the roots are also trimmed. Not sure if that really counts as 2 insults but I have done both top and root prune on JM, trident, Chinese elm and many other species every winter for the past 20 years when digging grow beds. I have not noticed adverse reactions from that so I assume that 2 insults does not apply to some trees or is a complete myth or only applies to some climate zones.
To recap:
Trim and wire soon after leaves drop - easier to see and frees up spring for other jobs like repotting.
Wound sealer does nothing to stop bleeding. Difficult to get it to stick and sap pressure just lifts it off anyway. Wound sealer helps reduce possible infection but mostly to speed callus growth and healing.
Also trim and hard prune after the leaves are hardened as sap seems to reduce by then so no bleeding in late spring or summer.
Major pruning can also be done in conjunction with winter/spring repotting as root reduction stops bleeding.
If you find some other timing works as well or better for you then feel free to use whatever you are comfortable with.
@LanceMac10 post about root trimming is also my experience. A badly bleeding maple stops right away if the roots are also trimmed. Not sure if that really counts as 2 insults but I have done both top and root prune on JM, trident, Chinese elm and many other species every winter for the past 20 years when digging grow beds. I have not noticed adverse reactions from that so I assume that 2 insults does not apply to some trees or is a complete myth or only applies to some climate zones.
To recap:
Trim and wire soon after leaves drop - easier to see and frees up spring for other jobs like repotting.
Wound sealer does nothing to stop bleeding. Difficult to get it to stick and sap pressure just lifts it off anyway. Wound sealer helps reduce possible infection but mostly to speed callus growth and healing.
Also trim and hard prune after the leaves are hardened as sap seems to reduce by then so no bleeding in late spring or summer.
Major pruning can also be done in conjunction with winter/spring repotting as root reduction stops bleeding.
If you find some other timing works as well or better for you then feel free to use whatever you are comfortable with.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
+1 for pruning shortly after leaf drop, especially in a mild-winter climate.
AcerAddict
Shohin
So most deciduous trees, say maples, elms, oaks, etc., are OK to undergo heavy cutting and root reduction/repotting in winter as soon as they've entered dormancy? And not only that, but this timing is preferred over early spring just before buds burst, yes?
SC1989
Shohin
Ah yes... I say if it is appropriate for your climate. My winters are harsh and I am a huge fan of late winter/ spring work. Anything past summer dormancy window seems to set them up for sickness and death.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Re-pot is spring. If properly overwintered, potting in March is good FOR MY ZONE. My wonky spot fosters early bud break, so February it is. No heavy chops from this point until late winter. I wait till May, however.
Lot's of variables.
Lot's of variables.
AcerAddict
Shohin
Indeed lots of variables. Prior to our move to the coast early last year, my wife and I lived in the Raleigh area for 13 years. It's amazing what a difference there is in climate just 100 miles SSE of our previous home. Winter temperatures arrive here on average about 3 weeks later than they do in central NC, and spring comes that much sooner as well. Plus, the temps here don't dip very far below freezing in the winter, whereas lows in the teens were frequent at the old house, along with occasional snowfall.
I have several deciduous trees that need branches chopped for shaping once it gets cold here, and 80-90% of everything I've currently got in nursery pots is going into shallower containers (mica training pots, wood flats, terracotta bulb pots, etc.) in the spring. With so much happening in the coming months to almost all of my bonsai material, I'm going to gain a lot of knowledge very quickly about what timing/methods will or won't work in my geographical area. Fortunately, the most expensive bonsai material I have at the moment is a 7 foot Bald Cypress that's getting chopped/repotted this off-season, and they're nearly bulletproof in our environment. If any of my other plants don't survive me working on them, there would not be a significant financial loss.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I just close my eyes and throw a dart at my wall calander....
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
The old saying went, "When it's red, go ahead" Most of the sugars have been scavenged and the leaf changes color. Once that happens, trees photosynthesis process declines rapidly. Silhouette pruning can be done at that time as the tree still has time to compartmentalize and heal pruned areas. I experience die-back if I cut too late.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
Yeah, I like this.
The sugars are being pulled into the vascular system, from the leaves and twigs. Prune then, no bleed. Seal up. Have a beer.
