CH Pruning and Plant Training 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct location to make a pruning cut when removing a branch from a tree?
- Flush with the trunk
- Just outside the branch collar (Correct answer)
- Several inches beyond the collar
- At the branch union midpoint
Correct answer: Just outside the branch collar
Cuts made just outside the branch collar preserve the wound-compartmentalization tissue that the tree uses to seal the wound and prevent decay.
Question 2: Which pruning cut removes a branch back to a lateral branch or bud, encouraging outward growth?
- Heading cut
- Thinning cut (Correct answer)
- Deadheading cut
- Pollarding cut
Correct answer: Thinning cut
A thinning cut removes a branch to its point of origin at a larger branch or trunk, maintaining natural form and redirecting growth without stimulating dense regrowth.
Question 3: Topping a tree (indiscriminate cutting of main branches) is considered harmful primarily because it:
- Reduces tree height permanently
- Creates large wounds that decay and stimulates vigorous watersprouts (Correct answer)
- Eliminates all flower buds
- Prevents fruit production for one season
Correct answer: Creates large wounds that decay and stimulates vigorous watersprouts
Topping leaves large, poorly sealed wounds prone to rot and triggers rapid, weakly attached watersprout regrowth that creates long-term structural hazards.
Question 4: The best time to prune spring-flowering shrubs such as lilac (Syringa spp.) in the US is:
- Late winter before bloom
- Immediately after flowering (Correct answer)
- Mid-summer
- Late fall
Correct answer: Immediately after flowering
Spring-flowering shrubs set their flower buds on old wood during summer; pruning right after bloom preserves next year's buds while still shaping the plant.
Question 5: What is 'deadheading' in ornamental horticulture?
- Removing dead wood from trees
- Removing spent flowers to promote reblooming (Correct answer)
- Cutting roots to restrict growth
- Removing basal suckers
Correct answer: Removing spent flowers to promote reblooming
Deadheading is the removal of faded or spent flowers to redirect the plant's energy from seed production to continued flowering.
Question 6: Espalier is a plant training technique that involves:
- Growing plants on trellises in three-dimensional forms
- Training plants flat against a wall or fence in a two-dimensional pattern (Correct answer)
- Pruning to create a spherical canopy
- Removing lower branches to expose the trunk
Correct answer: Training plants flat against a wall or fence in a two-dimensional pattern
Espalier trains woody plants flat in horizontal, fan, or geometric patterns against a support, saving space and often enhancing fruit production through improved light exposure.
CH Pruning and Plant Training 1
What is the correct location to make a pruning cut when removing a branch from a tree?