Defoliation 101

On cypress you put them in the list of weaker but no rough percentages just not 90% defoliation. Would 50% be ok? I have a nonchalant of seedlings I want to chop for a forest depending on light after the chop may want to pull a few. I don’t think I will but next summer depending on groupthink I will probably want to to control apical growth. I just want them to thicken a little bit but stay short and develop the trees fairly evenly. I will ask inputs in other thread but the defoliation percentage seems apt for this one.

And oaks, none of mine are even close to needing it but you’ve got me thinking. I’ve got a patch of scrub oaks I might start cultivating in the ground for better branching by making some big chops. Ones they’re branching and healthy is there a percentage not to exceed as well?

I also want to say a huge thank you to @markyscott for this thread and several others. He’s been a big help. I love deciduous and broadleaf trees and plan on focusing on them and this in particular is going to be a huge help in getting my trees to look the way I want! I love how detailed he gets on why these practices work so that I can apply them properly.

@sorce you too because I don’t think I’ve thanked you in the other threads you gnomic philosopher you, sometimes I’m confused but after a couple reads I can usually find the nugget of wisdom you planted in there.

I am trying to collect all the seeds of knowledge I can and planting them so that as my trees develop into something worth showing I can use all the wisdom I’m collecting from EVERYONE to grow beautiful interesting trees!

Trenthany said:

On cypress you put them in the list of weaker but no rough percentages just not 90% defoliation. Would 50% be ok? I have a nonchalant of seedlings I want to chop for a forest depending on light after the chop may want to pull a few. I don’t think I will but next summer depending on groupthink I will probably want to to control apical growth. I just want them to thicken a little bit but stay short and develop the trees fairly evenly. I will ask inputs in other thread but the defoliation percentage seems apt for this one.

Click to expand...

I’m not sure why one would want to defoliate a seedling for which they are developing a trunk. Seems like something you might want to use when you’re thinking about branch development.

Trenthany said:

And oaks, none of mine are even close to needing it but you’ve got me thinking. I’ve got a patch of scrub oaks I might start cultivating in the ground for better branching by making some big chops. Ones they’re branching and healthy is there a percentage not to exceed as well?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there is not a hard and fast rule. It’s species and health dependent. I have several oaks, but they’re all in development. On these trees defoliation consists of removing older leaves on extending shoots to allow light and air through the canopy. It’s been very limited.

- S

markyscott said:

I’m not sure why one would want to defoliate a seedling for which they are developing a trunk. Seems like something you might want to use when you’re thinking about branch development.



Unfortunately, there is not a hard and fast rule. It’s species and health dependent. I have several oaks, but they’re all in development. On these trees defoliation consists of removing older leaves on extending shoots to allow light and air through the canopy. It’s been very limited.

- S

Click to expand...

I am not at those phases yet so I’m just looking ahead to put bumpers on my enthusiasm. I’ll plan on keeping oaks and cypress minimal except for balancing and branch development

Trenthany said:

I am not at those phases yet so I’m just looking ahead to put bumpers on my enthusiasm. I’ll plan on keeping oaks and cypress minimal except for balancing and branch development

Click to expand...

Branch development on trunks under development are mostly counterproductive. Most if not all the branches developed on a trunk under development will have to be removed as they can become overdeveloped in the final image. You want the TOPs of those saplings to take the lead to develop the trunk below. Branch development is second on the list to trunk development. If you're trying to do both, you're really doing neither all that well...

markyscott said:

I think the tree will be fine, but I don’t think you advanced it’s development by completely defoliating. I’d look to your indoor setup to try and figure out why your trees drop leaves when they’re moved outdoors.

Scott

Click to expand...

hi mark, i wanted at least share the result with you after the defoliation, next time i will keep the tip growth on so i can compare but thats for next year