We have an ornamental Japanese plum tree behind our house in Victoria. This tree has gone wild with producing a large number of tall (2 m) shoots from the trunk and also from near the top were the tree had been cut back (pruned) by the previous owner. Is there a recomended method to minimize this wild growth? Or a preferred pruning method? Thankful for any help
a pruning by a knowledgeable pruner may help reduce the problem you are having. Can youpost a few pictures of the tree? it may help us give you advice about future pruning.
I cut mine back every year or secound year just after it flowers to about eight feet off the ground. The new shoots I like to thin out in the fall leaving enough for a good show of blossoms in the spring. Some of the longer shoots I let grow and use them as supports for pole beans and peas in the vegitable garden. These plants do not seem to mind a good prunning and can be shaped as you want. If left year after year the amount of blossoms decrease and the tree becomes twiggy and susceptable to fungus growing on the branches.
The problem, as is often the case is that it was over- or mal-pruned before and now you are faced with the result. If you cut out the vertical shoots now it will just make more later. Try heading it back in July, instead of thinning it during winter. You will probably get less sprouting that way. Massed flowers and a solid head of purple leaves are the point of these, rather than the branching structure - attempting to force one into an open, "artistic" habit may result in a contest. Developing congestion as the tree grows larger and older might best be handled by periodically cutting out one or two entire unwanted branches, rather than nibbling and snipping at the whole tree every year. This approach has been recommended for mature, more- or less natural habit orchard apple trees - and makes sense to me.
