Tree and Shrub Care

TREE and SHRUB CARE

It should be obvious that good pruners and loppers provide a clean cut to preserve trees, hedges, bushes - and makes light work for the gardener. Precision cuts prevent unnecessary injuries to the plant, and hands that are free of repetitive strain or blisters to insure the enjoyment of garden work. WOLF-Garten manufactures cutting tools of upmost quality that lie snugly in your hand: WOLF-Garten has perfect solutions down to the last detail, for ergonomic, untiring use, with German steel sharpness and innovative, indestructible technology matched to every hand size and every task in your garden.

WOLF -Garten produce hedge trimmers, loppers, and pruners which are tailor made for precise work. Bypass or anvil technology? The choice is yours. High up? No problem with telescopic handles. Thick branch? Long lever, short work. Shaped cut? A perfect trim.

WOLF-Garten products are the finest tools available. The red & yellow color of WOLF Garten is the sign of Masterful Products in every respect. We are confident you will enjoy WOLF Garten products.

WOODY PLANT CARE

The correct time for cutting woody plants are best undertaken in late spring. What you need to cut when is discussed below.

Woody plants must be trimmed in a specific way: For the rejuvenation of old trees and shrubs and for the cultivation of young trees and shrubs, to give shape to a hedge or a curved section, to remove dead or infected wood or to provide impetus for the growth of blooms and fruit. Not every woody plant needs to be trimmed to retain strength and health. The frequency and type of cut depend basically upon the individual type of plant involved and it is therefore recommended that you find out in detail about the growth characteristics of the woody plants in your own garden to make sure that you do not achieve the opposite of what the cut was intended for.

For example, many evergreen plants only need to be cut back occasionally and other well formed woody plants can be left untrimmed for longer periods during their growth. Valuable decorative woody plants such as magnolia and hamamelis can suffer damage rather than benefit from too frequent cutting.

Late summer blossoming shrubs such as Buddleia davidii, Hydrangea paniculata, Spiraea and Potentilla need a frequent expert cut-back - as do frequent flowering types of roses - to develop the annual show of blooms. Spring is the best time to give impetus to the plants to produce compact growth. A radical cut-back to knee height will benefit - after several years of untrimmed free growth - for example hazelnut (Corylus avellana) und Forsythia. Flowering gorse (Cytisus and Genista) can become very elderly in just a few years if it is not cut back after every flowering. Whilst deciduous trees are trimmed in autumn and winter, spring-flowering plants such as lilac should be trimmed after they have flowered in late spring. Dead and frost-damaged wood can in fact be cut away at any time, but they are best detected in spring and summer.

It is particularly important for successful trimming to have a sharp blade: Only sharp cuts will heal quickly. In frayed cuts from blunt knives diseases and fungal infections can hide and weaken the plant. Also the exact application of the tool is of paramount importance: Always cut above a healthy join. When removing an entire branch you should apply the cutter just above the branch ring.

FRUIT TREE CARE

Whether pip or stone fruit, basically your trees will bear richer fruit and grow better if they are cut regularly. The best time for this is on frost-free days.

Light and new growth for your fruit trees

An adequate supply of light to the crown of the tree is important for good development of shoots, leaves and fruit. You can achieve this with a thinning-out cut. Sprouting performance and crop yield of older trees are increased by this rejuvenating cut. The WOLF-Garten InterLocken™ Tree Maintenance Without Ladders system, with its adjustable telescopic handles for working at heights up to 18 ft, eliminates the need for ladders and with attachable tool heads it enables safe, comfortable and perfect cutting, sawing, extraction, shaking and harvesting from the ground.

How to thin your fruit trees

Pointed at the top, voluminous towards the bottom - that's what the optimum crown of a fruit tree should look like, whose twigs and branches receive plenty of sunlight overall. To achieve this well-tried trapezoidal shape, use a sharp saw, branch or tree loppers to shorten twigs and branches that have grown too long, especially in the upper reaches of the crown. All branches that are growing in the interior of the crown should be removed. In addition, vertical shoots and competing shoots, as well as branches that are weak or too thick, must also be thinned out.

How to rejuvenate your fruit trees

You can stimulate the sprouting performance and crop yield of your fruit trees with a rejuvenating cut. To do this, the lateral lead shoots down to the lowest distinct lead shoot are first removed with a sharp saw, branch loppers or tree loppers. Next, the center shoot is pruned back sufficiently far that the lateral lead shoots and the center shoot form an acute to right angle. The center shoot must maintain its dominant position.

Good maintenance after cutting your fruit trees

Much as your fruit trees profit from pruning, this is a deep intrusion into the plant organism. Only with a smooth, clean and exact cut and subsequent wound treatment are you really doing your trees any good. Only use saws, loppers and pruners that are sharply ground. Pathogens can spread into unclean cutting sites. Cut or sawed edges can be smoothed subsequently with a gardening knife, if necessary. Cut surfaces that are larger than dollar coin must be sealed immediately with wound balm or grafting wax.

TEN GOLDEN RULES for PRUNING WOODY PLANTS

There are a few things to take note of when pruning woody plants. Here, we will provide tricks and tips that will ensure long enjoyment of your trees and shrubs.

1. Prune trees regularly
2. Do not prune at temperatures below 18°F/-8° C
3. Only use secure ladders and sharp tools that are in perfect condition, and wear closely-fitting clothes
4. Remove all dead and diseased wood, and all mummified fruit (withered, fungus-infected fruit on the trees that are mostly already bare). Disinfect the tool with alcohol when moving from a diseased to a healthy part of the tree
5. Take note: Cutting back lightly produces little sprouting; cutting back severely results in vigorous sprouting
6. Rigorously form and maintain the desired crown shapes
   • Cut the weakest lead branch first; align the stronger ones to it
   • Train the lead branches at the correct angle to the tree
   • Accentuate the lead branches of apple, pear and stone fruits on a strongly growing base
7. Always subordinate fruit-bearing branches and fruit wood to the lead branches
8. Always care for renewable, young fruit wood and remove old, worn-out fruit wood
9. Don't forget: Check trunks and wound treatment
10. Observe how the tree responds to pruning, note the reaction and take this knowledge into account at the next cut