I've got this attitude that I can do anything that is needed in my garden. Lots of projects are on the list, and I expect I can do them all. Of course, I don't know anything about some of these tasks and should do the research before jumping in. Even worse is knowing just enough to allow me to put that task off to another day. And that's why some of them just don't get done.
Pruning the Western Redbud,
Cercis occidentalis, is one of those tasks.
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| Western Redbud in bloom. |
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| Yep, Redbuds are in the Pea Family. |
My Redbud is one of the first natives that went into the garden. I'd purchased three 15 gallon trees at the late, lamented Hortus Nursery in Pasadena about 15 years ago. Two were placed in front of the curved window at the front of my house, and one was planted out at the southwest corner of the property, in the hottest, most exposed spot in the garden. That's the tree that thrived. The other two kind of did that "Meh" thing for awhile and I decided, eventually, to take them out (the smaller tree is visible in the first photo, off to the left, and the size difference is dramatic). There is some suggestion that they didn't like root competition from the Chinese Elm out in the hellstrip.
Anyway, I've basically ignored all sound advice and let that one remaining Redbud go its own way. I only ever trimmed the most offending branches blocking paths. This was probably not wise. I think some of the trunks are not exactly well-formed and there is a lot of crossing branch material in there. Be that as it may, its now at about 20 feet high and wide and its always interesting.
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| The memory of flowers |
Redbuds have something to admire all year. They are deciduous, with bare branches in Winter. In Spring, they burst out in rich pink blossoms, showing their obvious membership in the Pea Family. The blossoms are edible, with a slightly citrus flavor to them. They soon leaf out, producing large heart-shaped bright green leaves. Over Summer, the leaves darken and form a nice dappled shade in the garden. Fall brings color as the leaves yellow and eventually drop. If the bees were busy in spring, the tree is now covered in bunches of striking 3-inch long purple-black seed pods.
Its always got something going on.
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| and flowers to come. |
But back to this pruning thing. They say that the best time to prune is when you need to. That is to say, sometimes you have to cut something out for safety or convenience or some other essential need. So let's set that pin. Prune when necessary.
There are better times to prune than others, though. The two main considerations are the timing of bird nesting and plant dormancy. First, avoid pruning when birds could be nesting in your garden. It would at minimum disturb them or at worst destroy their nest and eggs/young. That's bad and is maybe against the law. Second, its best to prune when the plant is dormant. That avoids shocking the plant and sending it into hormonal priorities that may not be ideal for that time of year.
Since
Cercis occidentalis are dormant in Winter, that's the ideal time to go. If you hit the job in January, you'll have a better chance of avoiding any nesting birds too. So guess what? Its January and my can-do attitude has got the best of me. I can't avoid the job anymore.
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| After |
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| Before |
My main problem is that the huge main branch arcing over my pathway is too big and too low. I'd thought it would be nice to walk under as you approach the house, but it turns out its only nice for someone of my height. At 5'8", there are a few people who would have to duck, including the regular mailman. Also, that particular branch had begun to make contact with the
Arctostaphylos 'Dr. Hurd' about 20 feet away. Again, I thought that would be nice, but on consideration I realized that might create competition that could compromise the aesthetics of the manzanita. So I finally realized that it was time to deal with that branch.
And deal I did. I first cut back the smaller branches to lighten the load on the branch and, frankly, to manage the clean up. Once I cut back to a reasonable space, I used a saw to cut out the branch that needed to go. While I was at it, I walked around the entire tree and pruned back any branches that appeared to be headed toward the adjacent sidewalk and path in a manner that would pose future problems for pedestrians. I've also got a STOP sign on that corner, so I checked to make sure that was clear. Nothing worse than having the city decide to prune for you.
In the end, I didn't take out too much material. I'm a softy...I see to much future bloom potential this year to heartlessly cut out all the crossing branches. Western Redbud can actually be coppiced to produce new growth and vigor, but that's not on my plan.
Next year, I think I might find a professional to do a proper job of it. I'm sure there's more to do and, even though I know I can do it, I don't actually have to.
