PRUNING 



265 



Name 



EXOCHORDA GRANDIFLORA 



(See Pearl Bush) 

 Flowering Currant 



(Ribes aureum) 

 Flowering Plum 

 forsythias 

 Fringe Tree 



(See Chionanthus) 

 Golden Bell 



(See Forsythia) 

 Golden Chain 



(See Laburnum) 

 Gooseberries 



Grapes 



(5«e illustration Pages 



Hibiscus syriacus 



(See Rose of Sharon) 

 Honeysuckles 



Hydrangea 



Hydrangea paniculata 



How to Prune 



Cut back just after flowering. 



Encourage vigorous young growth. Trim 

 out older wood. 



Thin out branches and trim back others im- 

 mediately after flowering. 



Remove oldest shoots annually. In July or 

 Aug. cut back each a bit; it causes more 

 fruit buds to form. 



Persons who have inherited tangles of Grape 

 vines should exercise care in pruning the 

 first year. Do not remove too much at the 

 start, otherwise no Grapes will be pro- 

 duced. When possible, all unmature canes 

 should be pruned back to a single eye if the 

 vines are very large, but two eyes may be 

 left if the vines are quite small. When the 

 Grapes have nicely set we seem to think 

 that they are benefited by cutting off the 

 tips of each bearing cane two leaves away 

 from each bunch. The canes usually branch 

 in this case, and they may be cut back a 

 little even then. Should one acquire or 

 have to buy new vines, it is well to have a 

 definite simple system of training. Grapes 

 at planting and the year after should have 

 the vines cut back two to three eyes. Then 

 head back to 20 to 24 in. long. Several sys- 

 tems of training are good. 



Munson System. Will be found illustrated 

 ani described in full in fruit chapter. Claim- 

 ed to be the easiest for the amateur. 



Kniffin System. Good if wind is not too 

 strong; simple. Single trunk is carried to 

 the upper of two wires and two canes are 

 taken out at an eye for each wire. Each 

 year all the canes are removed except a 

 shoot from each; spurs are chosen from the 

 trunk. A vine may carry 40 buds usually. 

 The fruit canes are produced on shoots of 

 previous year's growth. 



Chautauqua System. Two short, permanent 

 branches are established at the lower 

 wire; two or three canes are left on each 

 arm and tied up to upper wire; 

 these canes are renewed each year 

 from buds at their base. When arms get 

 too old, new ones are easily established. 



The climbers and the bush Honeysuckles, 

 except Spring flowering Standishii and fra- 

 grantissima which two latter prune in July. 



Hydrangeas bloom upon wood produced the 

 current season from older wood. They 

 must, therefore, not be cut down wholly to 

 the ground, otherwise they bloom poorly. 



These shrubs should be large because they 

 are old; they should not be allowed to get 

 into a monstrous size when young; their 

 beauty is entirely spoiled by such treat- 

 ment. If one does not admire the flower 

 stalks, they are best pruned in Nov. 



When 



July 

 July 



Late Summer 

 Jan.-Mar 



Jan.-Mar. 

 Jan.-Mar. 



Jan.-Mar. 



