Wintering Prunning for Elms

penumbra

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I am curious to know if others in my zone (6) do any heavy pruning this early in the cold season, not quite winter yet. Generally I wait until late winter but I have so many trees to work on that I am considering pruning some of my trees, mostly different types of elm trees, now. And what about other trees. I have seen dieback on maples that were pruned too early but I am curious about elms and other trees as well.
Just looking for your experiences, more so than opinions.
Thank you.
 

leatherback

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Small twigs and cuts I would not think twice (maintenance pruning). But branch removal and chops.. Not sure. I always did them whenever, but lost a big carpinus 2 years ago due to massive die-back after a few big mid-winter chops and now I wait for growing season to do large cuts.
 

sorce

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What kinda elm?

I can't speak for them tiny leaf cultivars. I kill them. But with Siberian, American, and this winged elm from Virginia, I have a little experience.

The only growth I've found directly susceptible to winter at all, is growth thinner than a toothpick with long internodes at the tips.

Leave stubs and you shouldn't get dieback passed the bud or branch you're cutting to.

Cutting bald (not to a bud or branch) isn't a death sentence but it won't spark the backbudding at this time so life of the branch is up to the tree. Same goes for a trunk chop I reckon. Bud or branch ok, but bald cuts to no formed buds means a lot of internal talk in the spring, before growth can happen, and that conversation may take place too late.

I reckon you shouldn't get dieback on a maple of you're cutting back to a good strong middle bud, but if it is a secondary small side bud, as left when a large tip bud is removed, the tree may choose to die back passed that little "tube", to the next node.

Either way I'd leave as much internode stub as possible anywhere for safety and guy wiring.

I'd hold the same rules for other trees, but things like hollow cornus will propose different problems etc.

Sorce
 

penumbra

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Thanks Sorce. I have winged elm, slippery elm, red elm, and a cultivar of Chinese elm.
Your info was very clear and informational.
 

sorce

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reckon you shouldn't get dieback on a maple of you're cutting back to a good strong middle bud, but if it is a secondary small side bud, as left when a large tip bud is removed, the tree may choose to die back passed that little "tube", to the next node

This maple is showing one of those little buds.20191201_102512.jpg

Problem is this other side.20191201_102604.jpg
It's showing possibilities of a pair of secondary buds, but the central one is damaged.
I'd fear then, a cut back to this node may die back on this half, inviting dieback on the healthy side too.

Hell, I reckon, just as you count Spruce tip buds for health gauge, you can use these buds counts as a "will it die back gauge".
Where, 6 buds and it won't die back passed there.
But one healthy small offshoot bud left may allow full dieback.

Forgive my thought beyond Actual experience.
These useful gauges lessen the "it depends'".

Also, I consider the length of the stub, which is dictated by the length of the internode, as a wick, the longer the better. Dieback or spring growth comes first.

The speed of that wick is dictated by things like internode length, thickness, nearby internode lengths, time of set buds(late growing season pruning) etc....

So longer doesn't necessarily mean more time till dieback, as in the susceptible long thin internodes of my winged elm that die easily.

Where stacked up tiny nodes on an even thinner Siberian Branch, won't experience Any dieback at all.

Something else about how we should speak in terms of percentages for length of stubs left, percentage of the next internode.
Since you can't leave a half inch stub where buds are stacked in quarter inches.

So...we can leave 0% of a stub if cutting to a healthy branch, and we must leave 100% of a stub where internodes are close on thin branches..

As to have as much "wick" as possible.

Sorce
 

Tieball

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@sorce ....” As to have as much "wick" as possible.”
This is very true....and in my experience is a good lesson I learned years ago. I prune back appropriatel...stimulate many buds back on a branch....and then after growth of those buds stabilizes I can cut back further if desired.

As to heavy pruning, or most all pruning usually, I wait until the last part of winter as in earliest spring just as buds stir slightly. That’s worked well on my American Elm. Zelkova I wait until the leaves harden....I tried early in spring and had poor results always...can seem to stop myself from cutting some years though...I get a little carried away. Generally....my practice is the wait until spring. My trees are all outdoors, all year in whatever weather and sun there is....they all come through just fine. I used to overthink and shield to much. However, I do use a simple windscreen with the top wide open for snow, rain, sun and cold....I’m just blocking the harsh direct arctic winds. The trees do fine and grow healthy.
 

sorce

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tried early in spring

I'm not a fan of that time either.

That pruning trigger can start growth beyond what light and the weather is allowing to grow.
This is some of why I hate the "repot as the buds swell" thing, cause buds can swell early and stall for months! Safely stalled, until a pruning makes em grow.

The common information actually makes it like....
Safe safe safe safe safe leaves dangerous.
When it is actually more...
Dangerous dangerous dangerous leaves safe.
For any work.

I'm finally in tune with my safe zone, so I like to prune right at it.

Sorce
 
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