To cut the cake tree you not only need sharp tools, you should also know the right time. When that is and more tips, here.
Hobby gardeners who want to cut their cake tree (Cercidiphyllum) into shape should follow a few important tips so that the pleasantly scented ornamental plant continues to thrive. The pruning of the cake tree is by no means a must. Because the crown of the katsura tree, as the cake tree is commonly called, usually retains its pyramid-like shape very well.
Right time to cut back
First of all, it is important to find the right date for pruning the cake tree. There are two time windows per year to choose from. Late winter is ideal for a radical pruning, in which the cake tree is trimmed very heavily. Then the cake tree will not have any leaves anyway, which makes work easier for hobby gardeners, not only thanks to the clear view. It also gives you better access to the plant's branches.
In addition, the ornamental plant goes into a kind of sap dormancy and can therefore cope with a pruning in late autumn much better than would be the case at other times of the year. If you decide to cut back in late autumn, you should make sure that the following factors also apply:
- this is a day without frost
- dry weather prevails
However, a radical pruning of the cake tree is not always necessary. Sometimes a slight pruning is enough to bring the very well grown cake tree back into an even more beautiful shape. The period around June 24 is ideal for this. If the cake tree is cut during the summer months, it is important to ensure that the Katsura tree is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Pruning and pruning the cake tree at the same time
These two steps should always be done at the same time. A pruning without a thorough thinning would make less sense. Thinning out is particularly important because all parts of the plant must be supplied with sufficient light and air so that theCake tree doesn't end up going bald from the inside out. The best way to achieve this is as follows:
- cut off dead shoots from the base
- branches that are too long can be shortened by up to 60 percent (only if necessary)
- the summer cut should mainly consist of slight corrections
- do not under any circumstances shorten the cake tree by more than a third in summer
- Remove branches pointing inwards and crossing each other as well
More tips for pruning the cake tree
When pruning the cake tree, it makes sense if it is mainly dead shoots and already dead branches that are removed. However, if you are a hobby gardener and want to ensure that the plant does not grow so much in the crown area, you must cut off the new shoots before they are older than twelve months. In principle, it makes sense if new shoots that have taken an inward direction of growth are also thinned out immediately.
However, the leading drive must not be pruned. This is the trunk extension of the cake tree. Only the shoots that compete with the body shoot should be removed with the sharpest possible tool so as not to damage the plant by cutting back.
Shortening a grafted cake tree standard
With these varieties, the cake tree sometimes shows very rapid growth. If this is the case, you may be dealing with a lot of wild instincts. Sometimes they sprout so much that they threaten to overgrow the crown of the plant.
To prevent this from happening in the first place, these branches can be plucked out. A jerk is usually enough. There is often a small amount of tissue left on the trunk of the pie tree when the branches are removed in this manner. The plant will then sprout again there, so that it is not damaged by being torn out.
Perform a root pruning on the cake tree
If you want to ensure that the cake tree does not grow so much and does not take up so much space in the garden, you should cut the roots of the plant. However, this should not be done too often, otherwise the plant could die. A root cut - every two to three years - is sufficient. Use a spade for this.
This implement will now clip the longer roots growing around the trunk of the tree to the desired length. After the root pruning has been done, the cake tree should not only be regularly,but also to be watered particularly thoroughly for a while. This is the best way for the so-called gingerbread tree to recover from this measure.
By the way, cutting the roots is not only useful if you want to control the growth of the plant yourself. Because even a cake tree that shows stunted growth can tolerate a root cut every few years, which is best done in spring.
Especially when the cake tree was planted in a bucket, root pruning has proven to be very useful. Otherwise the plants will quickly outgrow the pots and simply become too big. Therefore, it makes sense if a root cut is simply carried out when repotting. However, hobby gardeners who are new to this field should keep their hands off a root cut. Because if you don't know what you're doing, you can also do considerable damage to the cake tree with this measure.