How to prune THIS Redbud tree - Ask Extension
Dear UME Professionals:
Thanks for your valuable, reliable and knowledgeable service.
Please see the attached photo of this ''young' Redbud tree...
Knowledgebase
How to prune THIS Redbud tree #814741
Asked October 20, 2022, 12:03 PM EDT
Dear UME Professionals:
Thanks for your valuable, reliable and knowledgeable service.
Please see the attached photo of this ''young' Redbud tree in our yard.
It has several very long branches at the top, any one of which could qualify as the main trunk. I cannot determine which one IS the main trunk.
My inclination is to prune them all to obtain a rounded crown, but then the main trunk (if there is one) would be cut as a result. Is that okay?
My goal is to have all my Redbuds looking like the one in bloom in the photo on your website.
Please advise me on how to prune it.
I have many other Redbuds with the same branch configuration as this one.
I especially like their profuse pink flowering in the Spring - and my neighbor had many that he grew from seeds which he gave me.
But they are small/young and maybe they can be pruned to an acceptable form before it is too late to properly prune them.
I didn't realize before I planted them that Redbuds are problematic.
Almost any other tree can be planted and not require detailed forethought like the Redbuds I have..
FYI - One of my young redbuds grew up (less than 10 years) and had a very skinny trunk (2-1/2"). I trimmed the lower branches for clearance up to about 5 feet.
The skinny trunk could not support the weight of the crown and bent over like a rubber band this Summer. Two months later it broke because I did not install a support pole.
I'm not having much success with these Redbuds.
I'm in Elkton, MD 21921. Where are you located? Are any of your advisors available in Elkton to stop by our house?
Thanks for your help.
Steve
Cecil County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Steve,
We do not perform site visits, but can offer advice here. Redbuds tend not to have a continuous central leader, as is true of Dogwoods, Fringetrees, Crapemyrtles, Japanese Maples, and many other small-maturing tree species. Young trees have a lot of branches that would be deemed temporary with regards to the tree's mature form, but they should not be removed until the tree is older so they can provide the plant with enough nourishment and can help the trunk thicken enough to become sturdier. Premature removal of lower limbs can hamper growth rate and trunk thickening, and the removal of too much of a tree's canopy any one year will stress it and set it back in growth. You do not need to prune a Redbud canopy to form the rounded or wider-than tall overall habit because they will develop this by themselves as they mature.
It's best to surround tree trunks that are growing amid lawn with a ring of mulch. Not only does this barrier help keep mowers, string trimmers, and herbicide applications further from the trunk to avoid serious injury, but it will keep the grass' roots further away as well since they compete with the tree roots. A minimum one- or two-foot radius around the trunk (expanding this as the tree ages) should be clear of turf and mulched to protect the soil. Keep the mulch layer around two to three inches thick in an even layer (don't mound it) and don't let it touch the bark so the trunk continues to get good air circulation.
Staking should not be needed if young trees have a sturdy trunk, and for those that don't, only stake them for six to twelve months after planting. After this period, they have either worked to stabilize the tree enough to get anchoring roots established or they are not working at all, which is why there is a time limit on their use. The tree must be able to sway a bit in the breeze when staked to stimulate this trunk thickening and root stabilization; rigid staking does not provide any benefit. Our Planting a Tree or Shrub page goes into more detail about planting depth, staking, and other actions.
Redbuds are not considered overly problematic; every tree species has several ailments it can be vulnerable to, and all have the potential to develop poor branching, though this is more often the case with human-grown trees than wild trees given our interference in root development and branching through early pruning (including pruning done at nurseries). While you do want to correct crossing branches or other defects before they worsen, you want to give the trees time to develop their canopy naturally; rushing things with too much early pruning can make things worse later on. Formative pruning to set up a good branching structure by means of selectively removing crowded branches to increase spacing between them and to correct narrow branch angles tends to be more applicable to young shade trees like Oaks that mature large and live a lot longer than species like Redbud that have a different growth habit.
Miri
We do not perform site visits, but can offer advice here. Redbuds tend not to have a continuous central leader, as is true of Dogwoods, Fringetrees, Crapemyrtles, Japanese Maples, and many other small-maturing tree species. Young trees have a lot of branches that would be deemed temporary with regards to the tree's mature form, but they should not be removed until the tree is older so they can provide the plant with enough nourishment and can help the trunk thicken enough to become sturdier. Premature removal of lower limbs can hamper growth rate and trunk thickening, and the removal of too much of a tree's canopy any one year will stress it and set it back in growth. You do not need to prune a Redbud canopy to form the rounded or wider-than tall overall habit because they will develop this by themselves as they mature.
It's best to surround tree trunks that are growing amid lawn with a ring of mulch. Not only does this barrier help keep mowers, string trimmers, and herbicide applications further from the trunk to avoid serious injury, but it will keep the grass' roots further away as well since they compete with the tree roots. A minimum one- or two-foot radius around the trunk (expanding this as the tree ages) should be clear of turf and mulched to protect the soil. Keep the mulch layer around two to three inches thick in an even layer (don't mound it) and don't let it touch the bark so the trunk continues to get good air circulation.
Staking should not be needed if young trees have a sturdy trunk, and for those that don't, only stake them for six to twelve months after planting. After this period, they have either worked to stabilize the tree enough to get anchoring roots established or they are not working at all, which is why there is a time limit on their use. The tree must be able to sway a bit in the breeze when staked to stimulate this trunk thickening and root stabilization; rigid staking does not provide any benefit. Our Planting a Tree or Shrub page goes into more detail about planting depth, staking, and other actions.
Redbuds are not considered overly problematic; every tree species has several ailments it can be vulnerable to, and all have the potential to develop poor branching, though this is more often the case with human-grown trees than wild trees given our interference in root development and branching through early pruning (including pruning done at nurseries). While you do want to correct crossing branches or other defects before they worsen, you want to give the trees time to develop their canopy naturally; rushing things with too much early pruning can make things worse later on. Formative pruning to set up a good branching structure by means of selectively removing crowded branches to increase spacing between them and to correct narrow branch angles tends to be more applicable to young shade trees like Oaks that mature large and live a lot longer than species like Redbud that have a different growth habit.
Miri
