how to prune a japanese flowering tree?

Question

i was told it is a japanes flowering tree, it has white limbs and trunk ,large green leaves, and only after all the leaves fall off , the large white w/ pink flowers bloom. if its not a japanese flowering tree i still would like to know how do i prune it.

Answer 1

Sounds like it is a species of Magnolia.

Hard to say how to prune it...How do you want it to look?

You can just trim it to size by taking off the tips, down to a node (where the leafe comes out).

General pruning guides will probably tell you what you need to know. Basicly just cut where you want to stop the growth. Open up the insides, making sure there are no crossing branches. But, then sometimes a crossing branch looks really cool.

How big is it? How much does it really need pruning? Sit with the plant a while, and watch it grow. See how it wants to grow and reach some concensus with it.

And be sure to have SHARP pruners and loppers, and saw.

Answer 2

Hi:
The best time to prune any tree is after your hot weather cools down and of course after bloom time. Always cut any branch at an angle. If you cut staight across you could damage the tree. Take a look at my website on the page about properly pruning. I hope this will help. I will also give you my site map page. This is a directory of the website with many articles, photos and descriptions. Best of luck to you and if you need any further help, please feel to contact me. Have a great day!
Kimberly
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Pruning.html

http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html