Forum

About the Landscape Juice Network

Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.

LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry

LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.

For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.

Pollarding a Mature Catalpa

Posted by Shelley Barnes on May 5, 2014 at 11:55am in Tree Surgery

hi tree experts! can anyone help me advise a friend who has a question about pruning a Catalpa bignon. aurea. I have one I prune hard every year, early spring to keep it compact. But I've been asked it its possible to take back one that's not been hard pruned before.

this is the question:
''I have one (Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea') and wondering if I can do the same as it's going to be far too big where we planted it ( too close to greenhouse).
Do you think it will be okay to take it back into the old wood now, or should I have done it when it was a younger tree?

if anyone has done it before and can advise I would appreciate it,
many thanks Shelley

Views: 2544

You need to be a member of Landscape Juice Network to add comments!

Join Landscape Juice Network

★
★
★
★
★
Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • PRO
    Phil Voice May 5, 2014 at 12:02pm

    Hi Shelley

    Do you have an image of either trees?

    I guess a lot depends on the age of the tree(s) but I'd probably consider taking the main branches back to the main trunk one third, or half, at a time to see what reaction you get.

    You could also reduce the branches in length over a couple of years to help ensure re-growth.

    You say that you planted yours si I'd stick my neck out and say that pruning is probably a safe bet.

  • Shelley Barnes May 5, 2014 at 12:50pm

    Thank Phil! My friend said thanks very much! I suggested the same- to do it in stages. She is sending me a photo which i'll post as soon as I get it.

    this is mine- its Catalpa bungei- so it's much more compact! I prune it hard back every year and its lovely!
    3314709219?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

  • Shelley Barnes May 5, 2014 at 5:23pm

    this is a photo of the tree in question- its just to reassure my friend that she can cut it hard back into the old wood?

    3314710498?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

  • Shelley Barnes May 5, 2014 at 5:24pm

    (mine is in Portugal which is why its in full leaf already!)

  • PRO
    Luke brooks May 5, 2014 at 5:48pm
    I would do it hard over two years, remove dead diseased or crossing branches first then hard prune the front most seen area then hard prune the back more next year
  • Shelley Barnes June 26, 2014 at 9:03am
    many thanks Luke - I will advise her to do that


    Luke brooks said:
    I would do it hard over two years, remove dead diseased or crossing branches first then hard prune the front most seen area then hard prune the back more next year
This reply was deleted.

Hot Discussions

Leading contributors

Featured Discussions

Trade green waste centres

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-WQ68WVXQ8K"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-WQ68WVXQ8K'); </script>

LJN Sponsor

Advertising

Blogs

PRO Supplier

Howardson Group Staff Take on National Three Peaks Challenge

Posted by Fusion Media on March 31, 2025 at 3:27pm in Industry news

A team from Howardson Group is preparing to take on the formidable National Three Peaks Challenge in memory of their much-missed colleague, Joe Emery, who sadly passed away in July last year. The challenge will see the team scaling the highest…

Read more…

More on LJN

Featured business articles

About LJN