RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS OF PRUNING

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32314, 4 June 1970, Page 7

RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS OF PRUNING

1: Pruning means reducing a growth to a desirable point but although the technique is simple it is often badly carried out. Twisting the secateurs in the hand during the process of cutting and making the wrong sort of cut are the glaring faults made. The series of illustrations shows several common wronglyexecuted cuts together with the correct one. 3 and 4 show the correct method. 3 shows the blade of the secateurs held on the bud side of the shoot with the opposing blade or anvil, as the case may be, on the back. Pruning in this way ensures that the cut is made cleanly on the bud side and in the event of bruising it occurs across the back. The inclination of the cut (4) should be about 45 degrees with the slope away from the bud. 1 shows a likely way of damaging the bud and or bruising the wood and 2 shows too steep a sloping cut away from the bud leaving little or no wood behind it. Although this bud may come away there is every chanee that the resulting growth will be damaged or broken off before it becomes well established. The other two incorrect methods of pruning, 5 and 6, depict a cut sloping into the bud which can result in moisture collecting and damaging the bud. 6 shows too much wood left above the bud and this will often rot away and possibly affect the bud in the process. Apart from observing the above points always use sharp secateurs. Without this it is impossible to make clean cuts which do not do some damage in the process.