Course CodeSGH6Fee CodeSGDuration (approx)20 hoursQualificationCertificate of Completion Pruning Plants Properly can have a huge impact on how they perform. A well pruned plant can produce a lot more flowers or fruit A properly pruned plant can live a lot longer and look healthier. Routinepruning can help manage disease, and keep plants from causing damage Learning to Prune is more complicated though than most people would think. This course can help you toward becoming a much more proficient pruner. Lesson Structure There are 9 lessons in this course: Introduction Why, when and what to prune: how pruning affects plants Removing broken branches, dead or diseased wood Controlling the type of growth Controlling the plant’s shape and size Promoting healthy, bushy growth Rejuvenating a plant Why prune? Pruning different species Timing for pruning What is compartmentalisation? Review what you have been learning Types of Pruning Cleaning out dead wood Stopping Disbudding Deadheading Pollarding Removing branches Crown cleaning Crown thinning Crown reduction Crown lifting Crown renewal Root pruning Pruning trees in general Pruning larger shrubs Pruning tropical plants Pruning container plants Review what you have been learning Pruning Tools and Equipment Secateurs Pruning knife Loppers Pole pruners Hand saws Trimmers Chainsaws Gloves Review what you have been learning Pruning Hedges Selecting hedging plants Establishing a hedge Types of hedge Pruning or trimming an established hedge Rejuvenating old and overgrown hedges Pruning conifers Other hedging techniques Pleaching Tapestry hedges Mazes Review what you have been learning Shaping Plants How to develop an espalier Horizontal espalier Oblique palmette espalier Topiary Portable topiary Other plants suitable for topiary Single-stem topiary Verdant sculptures Bonsai Creating bonsai Pruning bonsai to shape it Review what you have been learning Managing Prunings Composting waste Choosing plants for composting Using compost to improve soils Composting in home gardens Indore method Using lawn clippings Mulching How to lay mulch Biochar Chipping Review what you have been learning Pruning for Fruit Production Before buying plants consider the shape Before pruning Points to consider when pruning Pruning specific fruits Citrus spp. Pruning a bush shape Pruning a standard shape Renovating an old citrus tree Open vase shape formative pruning Plum tree pruning Pruning apricots Knowing your buds Review what you have been learning Pruning Roses When to prune roses Pruning techniques for different types of roses Pruning climbers and ramblers at a glance Pruning roses as standards Dead heading roses Rejuvenating an old rose plant Review what you have been learning Compendium of Plants: how to Prune what and when This section deals with a large number of plant genera, one by one, and how to prune each. Summary: basic pruning guide Glossary of Pruning Terminology Review what you have been learning Learn to Make Better Decisions when Pruning The best way to prune any plant depends on many different things, from why you are pruning it and the climatic conditions to the types of plant you are dealing with. Consider: Location where the plants are grown (for example northern or southern hemisphere). Climate (for example, tropical versus temperate). Aspect (for example north versus south facing slopes). Microclimate (for example sunny courtyard or deep shade). Reason for pruning (for example, ornamental appearance versus fruit or flower production, or disease reduction). Health of the plant Age of the plant Pruning plants properly, and getting the best results, is a much more complex task than what the average person realises. Bad pruning can significantly reduce the quality and quantity of fruit or flower crops, and in the extreme, cause serious health problems or even kill plants. This course can give you the awareness to avoid serious mistakes; and set you on a path to increase the quality of your pruning work, and the scope of different plants you are able to prune well. HOW CAN PRUNING DIFFER SO MUCH BETWEEN PLANTS? Consider a few different plants and you will begin to see: How to Prune Buddleia spp. (Butterfly Bush) Buddleia can be divided into three categories: those which flower terminally on the current season's wood, those which flower from the previous season's wood and those which flower terminally on the previous season's wood. Buddleia species which flower terminally on the current season's wood should be pruned back annually in spring to restrict growth and remove dead wood. The plant can be cut back at ground level or, if the growths are very vigorous, at around 0.9 to 1.2m. Buddleia species which flower from the previous season's wood, such as B. alternifolia, need annual pruning to maintain the balance between new and old growth, whereby new growth is favoured. The old shoots are cut back in midsummer after flowering. Deadwood should also be removed. Buddleia species, such as B. globosa, which flower terminally on the previous season's wood are pruned to retain the flowering wood. Weak and dead wood is cut back in late winter to early summer. An overgrown shrub can be pruned back hard, however flowering may be lost. B. colvilei is in this group. It is an upright grower which is suitable as a wall shrub. How to Prune Rhododendrons Rhododendrons generally do not require much pruning, apart from perhaps the removal of flower heads when the blooms fade. However, unsuitable growing conditions resulting in unhealthy growth and die back may make pruning necessary. Dead wood should be removed. Many rhododendrons respond readily to hard pruning and will regenerate with young growth. Rhododendrons such as R. ponticum can be used for screening and informal hedging. Annual pruning to restrict size should be carried out after flowering. Removal of spent flower heads is often carried out to prevent seed production and encourage new growth. Suckers should be removed close to the root. How to Prune Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary will respond well to cutting back, especially if the plant is young. This is best done in spring. Rosemary may also be pruned after flowering. ONLY 20 Hours At only 20 hours. this is different to our other 100 hour courses; being not only shorter and with a lower fee, but with the assessments at the end of each lesson being fully automated. At the end of each lesson, you are given a short interactive test to undertake, to provide an indication of how your learning is progressing. You have access to a help desk for support from a horticulture tutor if you need it in any point in your studies. When you finish the final lesson, you are given a more thorough automated test or examination. If you achieve an overall pass; in this final online test; you are provided with an electronic copy of a "Certificate of Completion", with your name and the course name and date, to print and store electronically in your permanent records.