Lewis Hill - The Pruning Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You’ll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You’ll Ever Ask

THE PRUNING ANSWER BOOK

Solutions to Every Problem Youll Ever Face

Answers to Every Question Youll Ever Ask

LEWIS HILL & PENELOPE OSULLIVAN

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Gwen Steege, Carleen Madigan, and Elizabeth P. Stell
Editorial adaptation by Penelope OSullivan
Art direction and book design by Cynthia N. McFarland
Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith

Cover and interior decorative illustration by William Howell Golson
Interior illustrations by Elayne Sears, except for 167 by Beverly Duncan;
42 top, 54, 56, 57, 81, 82, 138, 192194, and 288 by Elara Tanguy

Indexed by Catherine F. Goddard
Expert review by Tchukki Andersen and Kevin Smith

2011 by Lewis Hill

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

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Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Hill, Lewis
[Pruning made easy]
The pruning answer book / Lewis Hill and Penelope OSullivan.
p. cm.
Previously published as: Pruning made easy.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-60342-710-4 (flexibind with paper spine: alk. paper)
1. Pruning. I. OSullivan, Penelope. II. Title.
SB125H45 2011
635.91542dc22

2010043058

Improving Flowering and
Fruiting Mending
Damage

Hedge Shears, Clippers,
and Knives

Maintaining Shade
Trees

Pecans and
Hickories

Skillful editors make me a better writer. I thank Gwen Steege, who initiated this project; and Carleen Madigan and Liz Stell for working with me on this book. Im grateful to Pam Art, Storeys president, and Deborah Balmuth, editorial director, for their support. Art director Cindy McFarland, Ilona Sherratt, and illustrators Elayne Sears and Elara Tanguy designed a book thats fun and easy to use, and Amy Greeman, publicity director, is promoting it. Special thanks go to Nancy Hill for trusting me to update the work of Lewis, her late husband.

My technical readers are the unsung heroes of this manuscript. Tchukki Andersen, consulting arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association in Londonderry, New Hampshire, commented with patience and knowledge. Kevin T. Smith, PhD, project leader and supervisory plant physiologist at the USDA Forest Service in Durham, New Hampshire, kept me on track when I ventured into tree science.

Id also like to acknowledge some top-notch written resources: Edward F. Gilmans An Illustrated Guide to Pruning, 2nd edition; the late Alex L. Shigos Modern Arboriculture and Tree Pruning: A Worldwide Photo Guide; and the websites www.treedictionary.com and www.invasive.org/species/list. cfm?id=76.

Pruning delights me whether Im taking off suckers or watching arborists remove dead limbs from big trees. I thank my clients, friends, and husband (a keen plant collector), who let me hone my skills on their very special trees and shrubs. They honor me with their confidence. My husband, Bob, showed love in action by cooking dinners and doing many of my chores while I wrote. I praise Leslie Webb, Candace Wheeler, Rose Matheny, and Daniela Kulik for centering me, and my kind neighbors and loving friends who cheer me on.

Penelope OSullivan

Nature is a master gardener and pruner extraordinaire. Just visit an orchard in early summer. If the fruit set is unusually heavy, youll see hundreds of little apples or peaches on the ground. Trees drop the extras when they lack the resources to develop them to maturity. And look around you in winter. Snow, high winds, and ice storms prune by snapping off weak old branches.

In gardens and in the wild, rabbits, mice, deer, elk, moose, beavers, and porcupines prune just not in ways we consider horticultural achievements. Theyre eating at their favorite restaurants, but in doing so, they fit into the scheme of life. Lets face it: if you dont prune, Nature will! Over time, people have observed Natures pruning methods and tried to improve on them because pruning when properly done strengthens rather than weakens trees. Here are the answers to your most pressing pruning questions. Pruning is a balance between art and science, between a plants essential form and your pruning goal or the effect you want to achieve. Remember, a well-maintained landscape with handsome trees and shrubs brings pleasure to you and your neighbors, and adds value to your home and community.

Ever wrecked a tree or shrub by pruning it? The pruning fundamentals in this book can keep you from repeating the mistake. Knowing the basics boosts the beauty of your garden and helps your plants survive and thrive. Here are some of prunings many benefits: