A lot of people think pruning a tree with changing how the structure of the tree will make a different style or shape. While this isn’t necessarily the case, the altering of the tree in this manner is known as tree training.
Tree training is a much better way to alter the way your tree grows. Pruning your trees should be used to prevent lopsidedness, to encourage healthier growth of fruit, and preventing diseases on your trees.
In order to keep and maintain a proper shape for a tree, pruning is used. For instance, let’s say you have a tree that has a lot of branches on one side of the tree and not the other, you would use the pruning term to get rid of the excess of limbs on the one side of the tree. When pruning your tree, consider the term as a maintenance term rather than alterations to your tree.
Pruning of your tree should be used on occasion, but most of the time you can train the tree for a healthier and more efficient alternative for your tree’s health and welfare.
Tree training has not been around as long as pruning has been, but it is rather effective in growing a beautiful and perfect tree. With the use of tying the branches down or by propping the branches up from the ground, either of these methods can direct how the limbs on the tree will grow and take the shapes they want.
The tree training theory is often used in the earlier days of the tree once it is planted to help encourage the tree to fully develop. By training the tree in the earliest stages of its life, you will save yourself time later with pruning the tree and help it get started off on the right foot.
The training of the tree is often done during the summer months. Instead of cutting off the branches which are not growing in the direction they should be, you can try redirecting them in another direction. You can use the same techniques and materials used in fruit tree growing. The techniques and materials will push or pull the branches, similar to braces on teeth, in the direction you want them to grow. After a period of time, the branches will grow in the manner you have trained them to do so.
While the decision can be hard on which way you should train the growth of your tree, there are several different shapes and forms of trees to choose from. Some techniques allow for a higher density of the trees in orchards, while others are meant to be used for providing for a maximum fruit bearing for each tree. It will depend on where you have planted the tree and how the purpose of the tree’s function, the form you will use will depend on how you want your tree to function for your situation.
While the theories of tree training can be applied in a traditional method for growing and training your tree. There are times when tree branches will grow too close together and try to block each other out. This is why training the branches to grow away from each other can help in preventing the later need of the branches being pruned. Training your tree is highly beneficial even if you are growing it in your backyard for shade in a non professional environment.
Branching Training Tips
In order to train your tree, you will need to have some kind of outside brace to pull or push the branches you want to train. Also, if you want to push two branches further apart or closer together, you can place something in between the branches, preferably something that won’t cause damage to the branches, by placing the item in between the branches and securing it with a rope. For instance, if you have the Styrofoam packing pieces from something recently purchased, you can cut it to size to place in between the branches for the placement you want the branches to grow. You will cut the Styrofoam shorter for the branches to grow closer together, and longer to push the branches further apart.
In order to successfully train the branches of the tree will take a little imagination and ingenuity on how to tie to the branches and what to use to push them off of. However, you can use fence stakes to help with the growth and training of your tree. You can also use a two-by-four leaning away from the branches can help in the training of the branches.
Even if you are familiar with growing, pruning, and the training of trees, everyone could use a little extra help in keeping up with things that can help in maintaining their trees. There is always a technique someone else uses that can benefit you and your tree as well for the growth and training of the tree.
