Easy to grow, Prunus are tall flowering trees or shrubs that naturally take on an elegant bearing. Sensitive to gum leaks, they don’t appreciate repeated pruning. Interventions must therefore remain ad hoc. Find out when and how to prune a prunus ?
When to prune a red prunus?
Prunus hates severe pruning to which it often reacts with heavy gum (sap) flow. It is therefore necessary to limit the sizes to the strict minimum , only if your tree becomes too high, too bulky for your garden or if it threatens a construction.
Generally, a pruning done every 3 years is enough to control its development in order to maintain a nice rounded port. It aims in particular to thin out the excess branches .
If you have to intervene, prune your ornamental prunus after it flowers , preferably between late spring (May, June) and early summer (July). At this time of year, the hot and relatively dry weather promotes faster healing of pruning wounds.
Nevertheless, you can still prune a Prunus at the very beginning of autumn if you limit yourself to a light pruning.
How to prune a prunus?
Prunus pissardii (pissard plum) is not the only purple Prunus grown as an ornamental tree. Many flowering cherry trees, such as the Japanese cherry , the Tibetan cherry or the Manchurian cherry are also Prunus. So they all cut the same way.
Eliminate rejects
Prunus tend to sprout from the base of the tree or the main stem as they grow . Remove them as soon as possible by cutting them cleanly flush with pruning shears as they divert the sap from the main trunk to develop better.
Cut dead wood
At the end of spring, you can also remove all dead , dry, damaged or crossing branches that clutter the silhouette of your tree. The main objective here is:
- to rejuvenate your Prunus
- to ventilate the center of the tree so that the air circulates there better and to let the light penetrate there more.
Pruning rather than pruning flowering prunus
When the prunus has reached its adult size , it is not essential to prune it . Intervene only when necessary, limiting cuts to branches with a diameter smaller than 2 cm.
In order to limit rubber run-off, shorten the small branches and offset the slightly larger branches in order to highlight the elegant framework of this ornamental tree. Work with perfectly sharpened and disinfected tools.
The gardener’s tip to avoid diseases: If you have to prune larger branches, paint the wound with a brush with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Let it dry for a few hours then apply a healing putty. You will limit the risk of illnesses appearing.