Dogwood-- wrong time of year to trim a branch?

[Trinity Honoria]

I have a dogwood tree, with a limb hanging over the public sidewalk. It's one of those things I forget about in the winter... someone told me I shouldn't do any trimming until the leaves fall off. True or false?

And again, thanks for your patience with a novice...

 

[fwf]

Yes, that is true. It is always best to prune in the dormant season. But that said, you do what you have to do. If branches are causing problems in some way, just use good pruning technique and get rid of it. If it is something can easily wait till fall, then wait.

 

[Elmore]

Wrong time? No. As a matter of fact I prefer pruning Dogwoods in summer...mid-July, in fact. Also Maples, Elm and Birch. All "bleeders". I have found them to exude less sap when pruned in mid-summer. Some suggest early summer and/or fall but a little pruning throughout the seasons is fine. For trees that are "bleeders", summer is best. Check this out:
http://www.city.brandon.mb.ca/welcome.nsf/recent/F11B66E8E4EB12C686256B9E0072AF8D

 

[Elmore]

growing trees

Hey fwf, I was looking at your profile and was wondering what kind of trees you were growing? I'm primarily doing grafted Japanese Maples and Ginkgoes in containers. For fun and profit...so far a bunch of fun. Elmore

 

[treeseer]

. It is always best to prune in the dormant season.

I doubt this is so for every tree. I think pruning hardwoods is best doen in late summer, and I have no reason to agree with Elmore jsut to be agreeable.

If your dogwood branch can clear the sidewalk if it is just shortened, do that. Find a go0d upright lateral and make that your new branch end. Better yet, take a picture of it and post it here. You may hear one guy rail against reduction cuts, while other guys while write red lines on your picture to show just where the cut should be, and others will qute percentages.

It's good clean fun--give it a shot!

 

[Trinity Honoria]

If your dogwood branch can clear the sidewalk if it is just shortened, do that. Find a go0d upright lateral and make that your new branch end. Better yet, take a picture of it and post it here. You may hear one guy rail against reduction cuts, while other guys while write red lines on your picture to show just where the cut should be, and others will qute percentages.

It's good clean fun--give it a shot!

OK, you are now speaking in tongues to me... reduction cuts? per centages? it all sounds like accounting gibberish to me...

Sometime i can corral my kids in the next day or two, with their digital cameras, i'll get a picture and post it... it's not a "big branch" or big deal... but dogwoods are my favorite trees and i don't want to kill this one with my stupidity...

i'll take pics of the other trees, so in the future i won't be writing posts about whatch-a-macall-its, whos-its, etc.

again, thanks for your patience with me!!!

 

[fwf]

...what kind of trees you were growing?...

Northeastern hardwoods.

 

[fwf]

I doubt this is so for every tree. I think pruning hardwoods is best doen in late summer...

Just going by what I learned, but you made me do some checking to see if I had remembered things correctly. Found several sources such as this one from the University of Georgia:

"Pruning Season

In the real world, the time of year to prune is when the saw is sharp and you are thinking about it. Trees are resilient to abuse and damage even if you prune in the wrong season. Late dormant-season pruning is usually recommended, although some trees will ooze liquid if cut too close to the time of spring growth.

One period to avoid is when buds are expanding in the spring. Do not prune once buds first start to expand until after the leaves are at their mature size. Pruning during this period can disrupt tree growth and stress trees badly.

Pines should not be pruned during the warm months. Dormant-season pruning during cold periods is best to prevent pruning-associated insect problems."

Actually my experience is that with hardwoods it doesn't really matter, but for elective pruning, I would still wait until dormancy just because of conventional wisdom. But I'm no expert, just repeating what I have read.

 

[treeseer]

Do not prune once buds first start to expand until after the leaves are at their mature size. Pruning during this period can disrupt tree growth and stress trees badly.

I agree with coder and UGA here. But now most leaves are fully expanded and hardening off, which agrees with me and elmore; late summer is a good time.

It's a good exercise to recheck sources; I do it all the time. Better yet to check a variety of good sources.

 

[Treeman14]

Hey Guy, have you been taking typing lessons from JPS?

 

[treeseer]

Hey Guy, have you been taking typing lessons from JPS?

Huh??? I lc'd two caps, and no misspellings. You are one tough editor to pick those nits.

 

[Elmore]

I have no reason to agree with Elmore jsut to be agreeable.

Since when have you ever been ageeable? heh heh

 

[treeseer]

Since when have you ever been ageeable? heh heh

At those rare moments when someone shows they are right by agreeing with me.
heh heh heh :alien:

O and TH, a reduction cut is simply the shortening of a branch, vs. removing it entirely. Are you near Charlotte?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

What the heck is a Dogwood tree? Closest thing we get to a Dogwood that's a tree, is a Pagota Dogwood, and that isn't much of a tree.

Could the sidewalk be moved instead of cutting the tree? (I don't know what Guy is talking about, some anti-reduction poster?)

 

[Trinity Honoria]

The dogwood, compared to the pics i have seen on this site, is a midget... i'll get pics up this weekend... and i will hear a collective laugh as you look at the teeny tiny branch (probably a twig from your definition!); i realize i am asking a silly question, just don't want to kill the tree!!!

my 30 foot pecan trees, those i'll ask a professional to come work on...

i'm about 100 miles from Charlotte... down I-85, near the GA line...

 

[ORclimber]

What the heck is a Dogwood tree? Closest thing we get to a Dogwood that's a tree, is a Pagota Dogwood, and that isn't much of a tree.

The natives out here can get over 50 feet. Real purty when they aren't riddled with anthracnose.

 

[Elmore]

...my 30 foot pecan trees, those i'll ask a professional to come work on...
i'm about 100 miles from Charlotte... down I-85, near the GA line...

Surely your not implying that you are not dealing with professionals here. Why treeseer is a consummate professional and he is likewise situated in the Carolinas...I'll bet that if the price was right, he would shoot down there and reduce that branch in a NY minute. I suggest that you have him reduce it to the ground or transplant it to the back yard and then replace it with a true beauty in the small tree world...a Japanese Maple or maybe even a dwarf Ginkgo cultivar. Something like this 'Seiryu' Japanese Maple. With age it will get about 25' growing in an upright, vase shaped habit. It has very delicate looking lace like leaves that, in fall, turn brilliant crimson and sometimes can be infused with purples, yellows and orange. Pretty much the only upright growing laceleaf Japanese Maple and although appearing delicate it is extremely tough and will tolerate full sun as well as shade.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/Elmore/Acer%20palmatum%20dissectum%20Seiryu/BBSeiryu5-11-05.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">

 

[treeseer]

if the price was right, he would shoot down there and reduce that branch in a NY minute.

O yeah man, ten hours driving time for a snip with the 'Felcos, sure. Dan "TreeCo" Nelso is NE of Atlanta and a short hop away, and is a consummate professional.

TH it's ok to think a lot about a single little cu; just look at the 'burls..." thread.

 

[Trinity Honoria]

ok, guys (and gals), bust my chops!

go ahead, make fun of the newbies!!!

i have a local arborist, but why call him to make a house call (and have to pay him-- time is money!) when the dogwood is something i can manage??? or pay someone from this discussion group the $$$ to drive over 100 miles to come hold my hand as i fret over my tree??? i think not...

bottom line-- i think all of you have been great, even tho i got dragged into the teasing... :blush: you make me feel welcome!!!

 

[Trinity Honoria]

Dan, let me get back to you on the holding hands bit...

yes, i am in Anderson, one of the communities on Lake Hartwell...

and my local arborist was once asked how he could do abortions by someone who thought the two professions were the same he could be a bit loco as well, but he gives a discount to solo moms and wasn't afraid to tell me my trees at the time were too healthy for his services...

ok, now can someone tell me how to attach pics to this post??? i downloaded them, but they aren't showing up in the "preview..." yep, i hear the laughs... or are they here? miraculously attached???