A Detailed Guide to the Latest Pruning Methods for Photinia

Photinia is a landscaping plant. Common cultivars include Red Robin and Red Lips. It is usually used as a street tree or hedge and needs pruning for shaping; after pruning, its form can be endlessly varied and the landscape effect is beautiful. Pruning photinia requires skill. Let us take a look below at the pruning methods for photinia!

Growth Habits of Photinia

Photinia prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. It is highly cold-tolerant and can withstand a minimum temperature of -18°C. It likes strong light and also has strong shade tolerance. It is suitable for various medium-fertility soils, tolerates poor soil, has a certain tolerance to salinity-alkalinity and drought, and is not tolerant of waterlogging. It grows quickly, has strong sprouting ability, tolerates pruning, is easy to transplant, and takes shape readily.

Pruning Techniques for Photinia

1. Pruning time: Photinia has three main months each year when it produces new growth: March, June, and September. Therefore, photinia should be pruned in the middle of these 3 months. Leave gaps where there are empty spaces and prune away excess branches. In this way, its crown becomes rounder and more refined with each pruning.

2. Pruning position: When pruning photinia branches with scissors, do not get too close to the buds, so as not to affect the growth of new buds.

3. Fine pruning of the crown: Generally, there are always a few drooping branches at the lower part of the crown, and these branches affect the beauty of the crown. Therefore, when these branches do not affect the tree crown, it is necessary to prune them. In this way, the crown of the photinia becomes both round and compact, and a premium-quality photinia crown is thus presented!

Pruning Methods for Photinia

1. Specimen tree form: In the first year during the seedling stage, increase water and fertilizer management to promote seedling height growth. In the second year, appropriately remove some lower side branches of the plant and continue to increase water and fertilizer management. From the end of February to early March of the third year, according to the requirement of a trunk height of about 1.5 m, remove all lower side branches and pinch the top of the upper main shoot to promote side branches to form a crown. Generally, 3-4 side branches are required. If after the first pinching there are still not 3-4 side branches, then after the main shoot grows 30-40 cm, perform a second pinching to make it produce more side branches. Through continuous cultivation, it can reach the standard for a specimen tree form for engineering use.

2. Low spherical shape: During the seedling stage of photinia, when the seedling height is about 40 cm, pinch the top to promote the formation of multiple side branches (at least 3-4). If after the first pinching there are still not 3-4 side branches, perform a second pinching as appropriate. Thereafter, because the upper branches of the crown grow vigorously, heavy pruning is required, while side branches should be lightly pruned. Remove vigorous water shoots in a timely manner so that the whole crown draws toward the center and gradually “huddles into a ball”. After light pruning and shaping, it becomes spherical.

3. Standard-trunk spherical shape: Usually, the standard-trunk spherical shape of photinia can be achieved in two ways.

① Method one: In the first year during the seedling stage, strengthen water and fertilizer management to promote seedling height growth. In the second year, appropriately remove some lower side branches of the plant and continue to increase water and fertilizer management. From the end of February to early March of the third year, according to the requirement of a trunk height of about 1.2 m, remove all lower side branches, keep all branches above 1.2 m, and pinch the top of the main shoot to promote side branches. Thereafter, prune according to the low spherical shaping method to complete it.

② Method two: Select large photinia seedlings as rootstock. While leaving sufficient trunk height, after shaping and pruning the crown, according to the distribution of crown branches and the requirement for crown roundness, graft 5-6 buds onto the rootstock by bud grafting. After grafting, pay attention to timely bud removal to promote the sprouting of grafted buds. Thereafter, use the low spherical shaping method for pruning, and a standard-trunk photinia ball can be cultivated. Because bud grafting survives very easily, using this method to cultivate standard-trunk spherical photinia seedlings is not only labor-saving but also easy to operate, and is worth vigorously promoting.

4. Cylindrical shape: Select plants according to the height to be shaped (that is, the required height of the cylinder). When the height of the selected plant reaches the required column height, pinch the growing point of the trunk (that is, pinch the top). Then, according to the intended pruning line, prune the branches and leaves from the upper part to the lower part of the plant into a cylindrical shape. After small branches grow out, gradually adjust them, and directly cultivate a cylindrical tree form. When the height of the selected plant does not reach the required column height, strengthen water and fertilizer management, keep the central upright branch of the plant, and shorten and round the surrounding branches so that the plant has a “soaring” feel, and cultivate it. When the plant height reaches the requirement, pinch the top of the trunk, and continue to shorten and round the surrounding branches. Through gradual pruning and management, a cylindrical tree form can be cultivated.

5. Hedge shape: Photinia hedges can be divided into hedge walls and spaced hedges.

① Hedge shaping: According to the required height of the hedge, heavily level-prune the top of the plant. Its cross-section can be a flat rectangle or a trapezoid. Side branches can be vertically level-pruned according to the thickness requirement of the hedge wall. The pruning surface is required to be “flat and neat”. Thereafter, gradually refine the pruning to take shape.

② Spaced hedge: The length of the hedge wall is required to vary somewhat. Usually, about 1-1.5 m is one section, and there is a certain interval between each section. The shaping method is basically the same as that for the hedge wall.

6. Cube shape: The cube tree form means that the top cross-section and the surrounding cross-sections of the plant are all uniform squares. According to the size requirement of the cube, select vigorous photinia plants with luxuriant branches and leaves. First, heavily prune and level the top of the plant, then heavily prune the surrounding side branches while leaving an appropriate length to promote new branches. After the new branches sprout and are cultivated, gradually prune them into “four-sided” flat surfaces.