Chapter Nine 

 PRUNING AND TRAINING PLANTS 



Pruning includes the removal of any part of the plant in 

 order to improve its growth for the use of man. There are 

 many reasons for pruning but they will usually fall under 

 three general headings: (1) removal of diseased or injured 

 parts, (2) training for shape, and (3) the improvement of 

 the productiveness of the plant. It should be kept in mind 

 that all pruning is interfering with the natural development 

 of the plant, and, therefore a definite aim should be clearly 

 in mind before any part is removed. After diseases enter a 

 plant as described in Chapter 15 it is often possible to remove 

 the diseased tissue to save the plant, by making a smoothly 

 cut surface for the new healing growth. Likewise, injured 

 tissue should be removed. Most training can be done by 

 pinching off the buds or young shoots when it is evident they 

 are growing in an undesirable direction. In most plants the 

 highest or terminal bud on each plant or on each branch will 

 grow. If this bud is not desirable as a leader, the branch 

 should be removed just above a bud that points in a desira- 

 ble direction. Pruning for the improvement of productive- 

 ness usually involves the removal of larger portions of the 

 plant and will be discussed in more detail under "Balance 

 of Root and Shoot" in Chapter 14. 



Training is usually less extreme than the pinching of all 

 the young side shoots or buds, as when a tomato plant is 

 trained to a single stem; or a chrysanthemum is trained in 

 the same way to produce a single large flower. The tomato 

 shoot (Plate II) has two compound leaves below the fruit, 

 with a small undeveloped branch at the lower leaf, and a 

 much larger branch from the next node extending above the 



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