Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Plant a linden, cut a limb
John Arbogast
Landscape consultant John Arbogast answers your questions every Thursday. Send questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to:
Dear John
5102 Greenfield St. SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
Or send an e-mail. Answers will be given only in this column. Please don't send pictures or samples.
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Q: I live in Western Virginia and I want to plant a tree in my small backyard this spring. I don’t want to have surface roots growing above the ground as my friends have with maples in their yards. There is not much tree selection in my area, but I was told about a tree called “Littleleaf Linden,” which I’d like to know more about. Does it have surface root problems like maples? How fast does “Littleleaf Linden” grow? I have about 50 feet of room for a tree, and I’m wondering if this linden is a good selection. What are its branches like?
A: My neighbors have a littleleaf linden (botanic name is Tilia cordata) and it is a handsome tree. Its roots don't grow above ground. There are many cultivated varieties of this tree and I think that you’ll enjoy any that you chose.
It grows at a medium speed, increasing in height about a foot each year, and some cultivated varieties grow faster. The tree grows in a pyramidal shape, reaching 60 to 70 feet with a spread of about half the height. This tree should easily fit into your space.
The side branches grow horizontally with a slight upward angle, so it is easy to grow a nice lawn under this tree. The branches do not hang down as do some other shade trees. Lindens can be pruned easily, if desired, although pruning is not required.
They don’t have much fall leaf color, but this is still an excellent shade tree.
I think you’d be very pleased with a linden in your landscape. It is one of the best street and urban trees in the East for areas of moist, well-drained soils.
Q: I have several scattered tree branches to prune before we plant our tomatoes in late spring. I was told about the three-cut method, and I need for you to explain this method so I can understand it. I know that the final cut must be made just outside the swollen branch collar where the side branch grows out from the trunk or big limb. But, I don’t know what the three cuts are. Are there cases when this method should not be used? I’ll be using a pole saw and a pruning saw.
A: Start by examining the branches to be removed. The goal of the three-cut method is to remove an offensive branch without the weight of that branch pulling off bark or snapping the mother trunk.
If any of the connections where the branch to be removed is more than 3 inches in diameter, don't cut. Look for a smaller branch. This smaller size gives nature a chance to seal off the cut without allowing decay to enter the mother limb.
Cut No.1 is made from the bottom side of the side branch to be removed. Saw about one-fourth up through the limb. Make this bottom cut about 10 inches out from the branch collar connection point with the mother branch or trunk.
Cut No. 2 starts from the top side of the limb to be removed. Start sawing about an inch closer to the mother branch. Cut downward until the weight of the branch to be severed pulls down to cut No 1 and snaps off to the ground.
Cut No. 3 is to remove the 9-inch stub, which is the base of the offending branch, back to the trunk or big limb.
Step 4: Clean up.
