Fuller crown through pruning

But they do retain their crown width. How long does it take before the branches have regrown?
They grow back really quickly. At the end of the first growing season, the branches are almost back to normal size, and in the second growing season, the pruned trees overtake the unpruned ones. In the past, we carried out several experiments at the nursery. We put the same trees together in rows, of which we pruned one row after planting, and left the other row unpruned. After three years, the pruned trees had a fuller crown and more trunk growth. Pruning only has advantages for the tree, and sometimes is a prerequisite for regrowth. That is why we say: ‘Pruning ensures growth.’

Climate change means additional drought

Why are so few people doing it?
I can only guess at the reasons. I think not everybody knows, or they just want to save money. However, by pruning you save more than you spend, if you consider how many trees you would otherwise lose. If the weather is warm and dry for a week, which happens more and more often with the current climate changes, newly planted trees are having a tough time. The leaves evaporate more water and if more water is lost than the roots can absorb, the tree is in big trouble. In those cases, you often see that people start to overwater trees. This won’t help, because if the root system has insufficient capacity to absorb the water from the soil, the tree will still dry out.

Shearing is best

How should you prune trees to prevent this from happening?
You should ‘shave’ them, which means you only prune the perimeter. A good nursery tree gets pruned every year, so you don’t have to thin out the branches. It’s only the perimeter you have to look at. The one-year-old twigs have the most leaves, which evaporate the most moisture. By pruning these twigs, you can quickly restore balance, without disturbing the crown shape. You only have to do this once, directly after replanting or at least before the tree starts to break again. Then, pruning is no longer necessary, at least if you have a quality tree. At the most, you have to remove the lower branches after a while, depending on the location and traffic requirements.
Does this apply to all trees?
Yes, I would advise it for all trees, irrespective of species and size. Every tree would benefit.

Watering is an exact job

And what about watering, is that no longer necessary?
Yes, you will always have to water the tree the first two years. And, we cannot emphasize this enough: watering is custom work. Look at the weather, look at the soil (if necessary using a soil-drill) and look at the tree. How often and how much you need to water, depends on the situation. You cannot make agreements in advance about the number of waterings, because then a tree, even after a week of rain, might still be given an extra 100 liters of water. You have to prevent these situations, because a tree can also drown and die: if the soil is continuously saturated with water, there is hardly any oxygen in the soil, and without oxygen, the tree will suffocate. A tree is a living organism and needs both air and water, like all human beings. This has to be the basic principle in all you do.