All the trees and shrubs that I pruned the other day are beginning to put out new shoots:
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| Dogwood |
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| Dogwood - Midwinter Fire |
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| Dogwood - Cornus Alba "Aureum" |
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| Pear - Conference |
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| Pear - with ant... |
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| Apple - Scrumptious |
This one hasn't been pruned like the others, but it's bursting into leaf just like them... The purple Cotinus or "Smokebush".
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| Cotinus - Royal Purple |
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| Cotinus - Royal Purple |
The pruning has evidently had the desired effect - re-invigoration of the plants. Funny, isn't it that plants have the ability to re-generate like this, but most animals don't? Wouldn't it be convenient if when a human had to have a limb amputated it could grow a new one? [Some types of lizard, e.g. the Gecko, have the ability to jettison their tails if they are grabbed by a predator, but they can grow another later on.]
Isn't nature amazing. All the cutting and pruning we do to our plants some times and they still come back strong. Life just wants to happen!!!
ReplyDeleteI was pruning yesterday. Way too late, but it happens. At least I could see where the new growth was going to be.
ReplyDeleteNew growth!!Seeing it makes pruning very worthwhile, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI think crocodiles keep growing teeth, or is it sharks, or both?
DeleteIt is always nice to see that you haven't killed anything by pruning it. I mean you "know" you haven't but the proof is always nice :)
ReplyDeleteI always love this stage. Makes every cut worth the cringe. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't help thinking that if humans reacted to amputation like shrubs do to pruning, it would be rather unfortunate. You cut off one weak arm, and out grows two new, stronger arms! It would rather un-balance a person's over-all look, I fear.
ReplyDeleteSome beautiful new leaf colour. Did you decide to do without fruit on your pear this year?
ReplyDeleteSue; I did prune it fairly drastically, but I still reckon I will get some fruit. With Minarettes you are supposed to keep the fruiting spurs very short.
DeleteJust wondered as our conference is full of flower and has been for a couple of weeks or so by now - it flowered before it sarted to leaf up.
DeleteAh! I wasn't sure if I could hack back the dogwood (very, very overgrown) but you've motivated me to give it a go. I didn't want to kill it off but looks like it might have a chance of survival if it's anything like yours. Thanks, Mark!
ReplyDeleteI'm too scared to prune anything in case I'm a little over zealous with the shears. Everything seems to be coming back to life so far though without my help. I know what you mean about getting stuff in a veg box (your fennel etc.) that you don't normally try; sometimes it can be a revelation and sometimes you wish you hadn't bothered!
ReplyDeleteLoved that last photo-amazing colour...
ReplyDeleteI love purple Cotynus; the foliage is really beautiful as well as inflorescences.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to pruning - I know the trees/shrubs benefit from it but I have to steel myself to do it sometimes.
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