How to create a new pollard or pruned tree?

  • Education (cutting) at the lowest possible age, best to start when the tree reaches the desired height.
  • Most species sprout easily when young. The better the tree rejuvenates, the older individuals we can cut.
  • We must not cut the sprouting branches too close to each other and, in the case of more fragile species, not too far from the trunk or „head“ (Picture Pruning a pollard willow).
  • Pruned individuals and pruned places on trees must have enough light, competition from other trees can easily kill them. Local shading, for example by branches of the same tree, reduces the likelihood that the cut area will be damaged. It also applies to shade-loving trees (perhaps except hornbeam).
  • It is necessary to carefully consider at what height we will make the cut. Saplings are palatable to herbivores, so it is useful to keep them out of their reach. A roe deer reaches a height of approx. 1.3 m, a cow up to 2 m and a horse up to 3 m.
  • The entrance to the cavity usually occurs at the point of cutting, so in cities it is better to cut trees out of the reach of passers-by.
  • Trees with poorer pruning usually prune below the cut, the first cut should be made higher than where we want the crown to branch (Picture – Training cuts).
  • Species that sprout harder (oak, beech) require several so-called leading branches to be left on the trunk. So prune gradually, leave part of the branches and cut only when the tree becomes disfigured. The remaining branches must balance each other – i.e. leave at least two.
  • Depending on the type and need, trees can be pruned annually or at intervals of roughly 5-30 years. Younger individuals are pruned more often than old ones.
  • Older individuals are worse at sprouting than young ones. If we start taking care of the tree at an older age, we leave more branches (Picture – Gradual pruning).
  • Trees 100-150 years old can also be pruned to bridge the gap in the continuity of old trees. In this case, the lower branches must remain uncut. The tree (also oak and beech) usually does not grow from the trunk, but from them.
  • We should not change the conditions of the tree at the same time as cutting it, for example cutting the surrounding vegetation. First, the tree needs to be loosened, only pruned when it adapts to the new situation.
  • The experience gained in one place may not apply elsewhere, so the procedure should always be tried first, consult with a dendrologist and/or witnesses (Picture – How to estimate a tree’s reaction to pruning).
  • Most trees should be pruned in winter, sometimes (ash) pruning in late summer may be more appropriate.
  • When planting, maintain views and do not plant trees too close to veteran trees that are still alive.
  • Trees (mainly ash) sometimes do not sprout until the second year. Keep calm.
  • The intervention and its reasons must be carefully explained to the public.

How and which trees to prune?

Beech – Suitable tree, but delicate. When pruning young individuals, a few branches must be preserved, they are the ones that will grow the most and sprout from them. Older individuals practically do not prune, but the remaining branches grow quickly. For older individuals, it is advisable to remove a maximum of 25 – 50% of the crown at once. The reaction tends to be very individual.
Birch – A rather unsuitable tree. Older individuals seem to sprout poorly, younger individuals well. Must try.
Oak – A suitable but delicate tree. Even young individuals should be pruned in phases over several years (Picture – Training cuts). Proceed very carefully with veteran trees. The results of pruning vary from place to place and also from species to species. In dry years and in drier locations, the probability of survival of an intervention decreases.
Hornbeam – A suitable tree, individuals up to a trunk diameter of 45 cm will survive the complete removal of the crown, even in the shade. For older ones, it is advisable to leave shorter branches or stumps up to 2 m long. Prune in winter. Sometimes it sprouts well and dries up after a few years, so a locally suitable procedure needs to be tested for a longer period of time. The removal of branches in the spring usually does not survive the tree. Massive, previously trimmed hornbeams can be found here, for example, in drier places in the wetlands in the Břeclav region.
Hawthorn – A suitable tree, it sprouts very well.
Ash – Saplings often sprout low on the trunk, so the first cut needs to be made high, let it grow for 4-5 years and then cut lower again. For younger trees, it is sometimes possible to remove the entire crown, but it is better to work gradually (Picture – Training cuts). Ash sprouts late, may respond better to cutting in late summer. In some places, even mature trees are completely pruned, but ash responses can vary widely locally. In our country, ash trees with traces of pruning are mainly found at higher elevations.
Field Maple – a suitable tree, it sprouts very well, especially young individuals, with older ones it is necessary to try and preferably leave a few branches temporarily. In South Moravia we sometimes find veteran „pollard“ field maples.
Acer pseudoplatanus – a suitable tree, but it probably sprouts somewhat worse than the field maple. For older individuals, it is necessary to try and it is better to temporarily leave a few branches. Massive Acer pseudoplatanuses with traces of cutting can be found mainly in higher positions.
Norway Maple – a suitable tree, at least the young ones sprout very well. In Terezín, Osmodermas live in the cavities of young pollard norway maples (ca. 30 cm trunk diameter).
Conifers – apart from yew, our domestic species do not tolerate pruning.
Elms – A suitable tree, our elms sprout very well, mostly even old trees. But losses tend to be high due to graphiosis. Illumination can increase the activity of xylophagous beetles that transmit the fungus that causes this disease, so older individuals should not be pruned. Previously trimmed elms can be found, for example, in the NNP Křivé jezero.
Horse-chestnut – A less suitable tree, it has fragile wood, medium capacity to sprout, e.g. in Roztoky near Prague there are massive trunks that sprout well after pruning.
Linden – A very suitable tree, it sprouts excellently from the trunk, the crown can be completely cut off, in the case of veteran trees, 20-30 cm long stumps of branches should be left to be safe.
Mulberry – A very suitable tree, commonly pruned to the head. Similar to linden.
Alder – Young ones should sprout well, older individuals probably too. Apparently, cuting to stumps was more common than pruning for alders, as shown by the appearance of many alders in floodplains.
Fruit trees (Prunus, Pyrus, Malus etc.)- especially young individuals and wild forms sprout very well. Planters and gardeners usually have enough experience, consult them.
Sycamore – Very suitable, even older trees respond well, pruning of branches in old individuals is better gradual, frequently pruned sycamores (every 2-3 years) will probably eventually start to suffer from a lack of dormant buds.
Cottonwood – Suitable trees, next to willows, perhaps the most frequently pruned trees in our country. They usually sprout very well, especially young individuals. For older ones, it is advisable to keep part of the crown.
Willow – In particular, the narrow-leaved sprouts usually show very well. A tree that enables quick replacement of surviving trees, especially suitable for cavity specialists. Regular pruning leads to the formation of cavities already at the age of 15 – 25 years (branches with a diameter of up to 5 cm were planted). In addition, willows (for example, white willow) take root very willingly, which allows the establishment of stakes with a diameter of 10-25 cm (perhaps even stronger, you need to try) and thus further accelerate the formation of cavities. A large willow plantation can be found, for example, in Vojkovice nad Svratkou or in the NNP Křivé jezero. Trees cut to the head mostly served as a source of fuel, rods for basketry were obtained in so-called rod shops.

According to: H. Read: Veteran Trees: A guide to good management