Coppicing is an eld - onetime practice in which a tree or shrub is cut to the ground or almost to the ground . This severecutbackstimulates the root system to give rise abundant new ontogenesis , which often has great , more colourful foliage . Coppicing is a useful method acting for controlling a tree or shrub ’s size and shape , but the downside is that blossom are waive . The best time to coppice is inearly spring , when you start to see tiny shoots on the stems . This is a sign that active ontogeny is jump .
Vigorous growers can be cut back hard each spring
Certain shrub and trees are cancel for coppicing , responding quickly with new and spectacular growth . For exercise , I can cut ‘ Grace ’ smokebush back to 1 foot above the flat coat each springtime , and the novel increment will mature to 10 feet by the remnant of summer . Yellow catalpa is another fast grower . If cut to about 2 foot above the ground , it will grow at least 8 feet tall and wide by the end of summertime .
Cut slower-growing shrubs less severely
shrub that are ineffectual to bound apace after grievous coppicing will profit from a easy pruning academic term . For example , ‘ Golden Spirit ’ and ‘ Royal Purple ’ smokebushes can only put out about 3 foot of new growth in a time of year , so it ’s in effect to cut them back by just a few feet in springiness . They react to this light coppicing by push out larger and more brightly colored foliation than they would if they were leave behind to uprise by nature .
Some plants can be cut to the ground in either autumn or spring
I reduce princess tree down to its soapbox in fall because I do n’t want to front at its gangly stark branches all wintertime . This belligerent grower responds equally well to being coppiced in fall or spring and may also be trim back back a bit in midseason if needed . Princess tree has invasive inclination in warmer clime , but in this northerly garden a yearly cutback is sufficient to prevent it from setting seed .
Laura Trowbridge is a garden designer based in Peterborough , New Hampshire .
Photo and illustration : Carol Collins
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A lighter touch works best for some plants.Depending on how much new growth a plant can push out in a single season, you may choose to take just a foot or two off the branch tips.
