Can I cut back this crab apple tree by myself?

Posts

• Allotment Boy Posts: 6,774

  July 2022

  There is an old adage that growth follows the knife. Which in normal parlance means the tree will have developed a root system in balance with the canopy.  If you suddenly chop off more than a third of the canopy the tree will try to regrow frantically to  "re-balance" itself.  This is particularly true if you do it in late winter early spring. If you watch last night's GW you will see Monty pruning a pear tree and talking exactly about this topic.

  AB Still learning
  
  

  1
• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  July 2022

  My tree surgeon told me that removing more than one third of foliage-bearing branches will cause water-shoots.  

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  1
• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  July 2022

  Ah ... Snap!  @Allotment Boy 

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  0
• KT53 Posts: 9,016

  July 2022

  I'll report back next year on how it looks.  It had to be savage 'treatment' as it had taken over the top of the garden.
  

  0