Cutting back before winter storage?

[Ingvill]

I have a few Chinese Elms that I have in big grow out boxes to thicken their trunks.
In my climate they can't be ground grown so I plan to put them in the garage or an unheated storage room through winter.

It's my understanding that in order to put on about 1 cm (0.4 inches) of trunk girth, the side branches need to grow freely until they reach about 1 meter (39 inches) in length.

So my question is:
- Do you cut back the long side branches each fall before you put the tree in winter storage?
- Or do you keep all the growth as is, and let it expand more & more each year? In which case the side branches will be several metres/yards long after a few years.

I want the trunks to thicken as quickly as possible, so if no cut backs what so ever is the fastest way to go, then that's what i'll do.
But having several meteres/yards long branches is not that practical....

 

[peterbone]

Definitely no cut backs. If you cut back it would take a significant part of the season to grow it back before you start to get more trunk thickening.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I have a few Chinese Elms that I have in big grow out boxes to thicken their trunks.
In my climate they can't be ground grown so I plan to put them in the garage or an unheated storage room through winter.

It's my understanding that in order to put on about 1 cm (0.4 inches) of trunk girth, the side branches need to grow freely until they reach about 1 meter (39 inches) in length.

So my question is:
- Do you cut back the long side branches each fall before you put the tree in winter storage?
- Or do you keep all the growth as is, and let it expand more & more each year? In which case the side branches will be several metres/yards long after a few years.

I want the trunks to thicken as quickly as possible, so if no cut backs what so ever is the fastest way to go, then that's what i'll do.
But having several meteres/yards long branches is not that practical....

After leaf drop, you can cut them back to a manageable length, just seal them good as there will be no healing until growth starts again. Elms grow so fast that when they start the spring push, you will be back at the 3 foot length in no time.

 

[Ingvill]

Thank you guys, I will keep them as long as I possibly can then
Good tip about sealing, too, will do that if I gotta cut back a little every few years.

 

[Tieball]

If you have space available. I would recommend just leaving the branches alone. No cuts. You will thicken the trunk fastest without cutting. I have done it both ways....cutting in dormancy and not cutting. The non cut trees thickened faster.

 

[Ingvill]

Thank you @Tieball.
Worst case; I can always tell the hubby "Sorry hunny, no room for both our cars in garage this winter, so yours will have to go"

 

[leatherback]

Of course, the downside of leaving branches on and letting them grow big is that you get larger scars. Sometimes slower is better.

 

[baron]

I'm facing a similar situation with one of my maples and will have a problem with storage if I leave it like this.
So I was planning on leaving the leader (currently at 1m65) but cutting the lower+ side branches back to a manageable length (lets say 30/40cm?).
Have no experience with this so don't take my word for it

 

[Gary McCarthy]

It's my understanding that the more branches the better they can brave the winter cold.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I'm facing a similar situation with one of my maples and will have a problem with storage if I leave it like this.
So I was planning on leaving the leader (currently at 1m65) but cutting the lower+ side branches back to a manageable length (lets say 30/40cm?).
Have no experience with this so don't take my word for it

Yes you can cut them back to make them manageable, leaving a reasonable amount of branch is OK, cutting it back some won't affect the "trunk thickening properties". For the branch to thicken the trunk it has to grow, when you trim it, it stimulates more growth, more so that not.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

It's my understanding that the more branches the better they can brave the winter cold.

That is another good point, mine routinely see teens and snow twice last winter and grew better than ever before. The OP is in Norway, so I don't now how cold it gets there.

 

[Ingvill]

In my specific area it gets down to about -4 F at the coldest, but most winter days are 10-23 F or so.
My area equals about a zone 6.
The ground will freeze deep down and there will be a lot of heavy ice & snow above ground, it stays like this for several months.
So I don't dare grow any Chinese Elms in the ground I'm afraid.

 

[defra]

@Ingvill
This is also an idea?
Wire the shoots when young to get them upwards and maybe even wiggle to save space!

 

[Ingvill]

@defra Not a bad idea! The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, lol, thanks!

 

[rockm]

I would NOT cut them back in the fall. The winter in Zone 6 will present a deep period of prolonged cold.

In my experience in Zone 7 Va., heavily pruned limbs on elms can die back even if they are sealed. There is no real reason to prune them before spring anyway. If its done in October, and the plant is basically dormant, there isn't going to be ANY activity with regrowth until springtime. It's simply not necessary to do it, when the plant will basically do the same thing when those branches are pruned just before bud break in March

 

[Ingvill]

A very good point indeed, thank you @rockm

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I would NOT cut them back in the fall. The winter in Zone 6 will present a deep period of prolonged cold.

In my experience in Zone 7 Va., heavily pruned limbs on elms can die back even if they are sealed. There is no real reason to prune them before spring anyway. If its done in October, and the plant is basically dormant, there isn't going to be ANY activity with regrowth until springtime. It's simply not necessary to do it, when the plant will basically do the same thing when those branches are pruned just before bud break in March

I have never experienced die back because of winter. I prune throughout winter shaping things up. I agree it is not necessary, but the OP was asking if it was OK due to space limitations.

 

[BrianBay9]

I have never experienced die back because of winter. I prune throughout winter shaping things up. I agree it is not necessary, but the OP was asking if it was OK due to space limitations.

Yeah, but you're in Alabama. OP is in Norway. When I wintered in Wisconsin I'd only prune before winter storage if I absolutely had to for space. I'm with RockM.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Yeah, but you're in Alabama. OP is in Norway. When I wintered in Wisconsin I'd only prune before winter storage if I absolutely had to for space. I'm with RockM.

Well, that was the original question in the opening post --- can I prune for space?

 

[rockm]

I have never experienced die back because of winter. I prune throughout winter shaping things up. I agree it is not necessary, but the OP was asking if it was OK due to space limitations.

I have seen it on Chinese elms when things get cold and stay that way for awhile. Especially when there's a cold wind blowing and no snow cover.

Long extension growth on elms and maples is pretty flexible and can be bent to fit a lot of smaller storage locations without alot of concern about. There's no real reason to prune stuff in the fall in colder climates. There is no penalty in waiting for spring. You gain nothing by doing it earlier on a dormant tree that will remain dormant for four or five months.

I begin end of winter pruning on all my trees in early to mid February, as (in non-wonky winters) I get buds beginning to swell then and pruned branches won't face four months with no chance of healing.