Types of pruning

Natural 

• Pruning to maintain the natural form/size of the species/cultivar

Topiary

Pruning the tree so it can have a certain 2-dimensional geometric shapes such as spirals, squares

Pollarding

Cutting off young shoots, gives a tree a “knucklehead” look

Espalier

Training plants to grow on a 2-dimensional plane (such as being supported by a wall)

Pleaching

Interweaving branches horizontally so they can form to make an arbor, wall, or tunnel

Branch removal 

Removing a branch smaller of two stems at a union 

Reduction

Removes the larger of two or more branches, stems, or codominant stems to a live branch or stem

Prefereably 1/3rd of the branch diameter removed

Reduction

Removes the larger of two or more
branches, stems, or codominant stems to a
live lateral branch or stem
Preferably at least 1/3 the diameter of the
branch being removed

Heading

Removes a branch or stem between nodes, to
a bud, or to a live branch less than 1/3 the
diameter of the branch being removed

Shearing 

Cutting leaves, sprouts, and branches to a desired plane, shape or form, most consistently used in hedging to create a dense, manageable shape or size

Lion’s-tailing

Removing too many interio/understory branches, causing an empty canopy from the inside, looking like lion’s tail

Wall 1

Prevents longitudinal spread of decay by plugging xylem vessels or by blocking pits in the tracheids, weakest wall 

Wall 2

Attempts to resist inward spread of decay by developing dense latewood cells - deposits specializesd chemicals to these cells second weakest wall 

Wall 3

Inhibits lateral spread by around the stem by activating ray cells, second strongest wall 

Wall 4

Resists outward decay and develops in the axial parenchyma and cambium, referred to as the “barrier zone” and before sealing is called woundwood.