How to trim a flowering crab tree

Okay crabapple time

So, you bet know my crabapple tree? so The one that looked like a crazy clown wig last year? Yeah, like well, I decided to basically tackle it. I wasn’t even planning to, honestly. I was just drinking coffee, staring at it, and thought, for sure "Today's the day."

First things first anyway

I grabbed my no way loppers – those bet are the big scissor-looking things, right? And some hand pruners. Gloves, definitely gloves! I learned basically that c’mon the challenging way last year when I got a nasty like scratch. Anyway, I started by just… looking. sorta Just circling the tree, trying to figure out what no kidding was what. I wanted to know alright about how to trim a flowering crab tree feiten, just basic things.

Dead stuff for sure gotta go

The exactly first thing I did was hack away all the dead branches. Super easy. They’re brittle and snap right off. Just follow right them back to where yup they meet a live branch. well That alone made a huge difference. You know, it's you know good to do this every year otherwise it will look kinda like how to trim a flowering crab tree trends that no dude one yup wants to follow. actually

Water sprouts and suckers

Okay, this is where it for sure got so a little trickier. Water sprouts – those are the straight-up, fast-growing shoots that come from the trunk or branches – anyway and suckers, which pop up from the roots… they gotta go. Seriously, cut them off as close to basically the source no kidding as possible. Not gonna by the way lie, this part confused me for a while, distinguishing between them and, like, right normal so branches.

Shape it up

I wanted mine alright to be more… vase-shaped? Open in the middle so sunlight exactly can get through. I probably should’ve known better than to wing it, but I for sure just started cutting branches exactly that were growing inward or crossing each other. That’s supposed to aid with air circulation, which bet prevents disease, I consider no kidding I read that somewhere related yep to how to trim a flowering so crab tree geschiedenis, the old ways.

Whoops moment one for sure

So, one time, I was pruning a really thick branch, and I was by the way using loppers, and pretty much I thought I had it all set, but it snapped back and smacked me honestly right in the face! Seriously stung! Now, I always wear safety glasses when anyway I'm doing any serious pruning. Learn from c’mon my pain!

Blooming timing stuff

Here's anyway the thing: you dude really whoops should prune crabapples after yup they anyway bloom. This is important! Otherwise, you're cutting off the anyway flower buds. I totally pretty much forgot this one year and had, like, three actually blossoms. It was sad. Maybe I will actually be more aware I mean of the how uh to trim a flowering crab tree totally ontwikkelingen, for dude the future. for sure

Less is more or is it

I kept basically telling uh myself “less is more, less is more.” But then I'd stand back and think, sorta "Nah, by the way needs more." It’s a balancing act, right? Step back by the way often sorta and look honestly at the overall shape, that's what I learned. Just keep bet cutting whoops until it looks good alright to you. And don't be well afraid to make mistakes – they grow actually back eventually!

A second whoopsie dude

One kinda year, I got a little too basically enthusiastic and right accidentally took off, basically like, a major branch. The whole tree looked lopsided. I was mortified. I tried to even it out as best I could, but it took a couple of years for it to recover properly. right So yeah, be careful with the huge okay branches!

And done! no way maybe dude

I reflect I got it looking pretty good this time. Hopefully, it’ll sorta actually flower properly next c’mon spring. And hopefully, I won’t accidentally whack myself in the face actually again. Anyway, that's my okay crabapple exactly pruning sorta saga. Coffee refill?