TEN PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING i. Pruning the roots lessens the food supply, and so retards top growth.
2. Pruning the top invigorates the branches that remain, the root system being unchanged.
3. Removing terminal buds induces forking, thus thickening the branching system. It checks wood production, and en courages the production of flowers and fruit.
4. Unpruned trees tend to wood production.
5. Summer pruning reduces the struggle among leaves and twigs for light and produces stronger buds for spring.
6. Winter pruning removes superfluous buds, inducing greater vigour in those that are left to develop.
7. Dead wood should be taken out at any season and burned.
8. The best time to prune, generally speaking, is just before growth starts in spring.
9. Early winter pruning is undesirable because the healing of wounds must wait till spring.
io. Yearly pruning is better than pruning at less frequent intervals.