Purdue Extension Service

Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Hands-On Tree Pruning Demonstration

By Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator, Vanderburgh County, IN

For the Evansville Courier and Press, February 22, 2009

Trees have gotten a lot of publicity lately due to the ice storm of January. Many trees were destroyed or severely damaged by the weight of ice on them. The violent windstorm we had two weeks later added insult to injury by tearing more limbs out of trees and even uprooting some of them as well.

I've received a lot of calls from people, wondering if their tree is worth saving, and how they should go about repairing it. I talked about that last week in this space.

But I've also received a lot of calls about some of the smaller plants that were also damaged. Ornamental trees and shrubs also were heavily damaged by the storms, either directly by the ice, or indirectly by limbs falling on them.

And even if it wasn't for all the storm damage, our landscape plants still benefit from proper routine pruning. There's still some folks out there, from our main streets to our "Back Roads," who still think topping trees is a good thing. I would probably need to rent a trailer to bring all of the research and proof that shows that topping is never the right choice.

But I think an easier way to get the message across would be to invite you to a free, hands-on landscape pruning demonstration. And we just so happen to be planning on holding one this Saturday, February 28, starting at 9:00 am CST. The demonstration will be held at Hartman Arboretum, a brand new educational facility on the west side of Vanderburgh County.

To get to Hartman Arboretum from Evansville, take State Road 66, Diamond Ave., west to the intersection with State Road 65, Cynthiana Rd, where you will turn right or north on Highway 65.  Follow 65 North for one half mile to the German Twp Booster Club sign on the left side of the road. Turn left (west) here and follow the signs to Hartman Arboretum. 

At the demonstration, we will look at standard pruning for shrubs and ornamental trees, and talk about pruning shade trees. We will also look at examples of storm damage, and learn how to repair injured plants. And I'll explain what to look for in a professional tree trimmer.

The entire program will be outdoors, so dress accordingly for the weather. The land is pretty flat, but we will be going over some lawn areas, and doing moderate amounts of walking. Bring your pruning loppers and saws, because after I show you what to do, we're all going to take turns practicing it!

The cost of the program is free, but I'd appreciate it if you would call or e-mail me to give me an idea of how many handouts I need to bring.

For more information on pruning or the demonstration, contact the Purdue Extension Service at 812-435-5287.