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Title: Pruning Effects on Trade #1 Sweet Viburnum Growth and Leaf Area

Author
item MILLION, JEFF - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item YEAGER, TOM - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Albano, Joseph

Submitted to: Southern Nursery Association Research Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/19/2009
Publication Date: 2/1/2009
Citation: Million, J., Yeager, T., Albano, J.P. 2009. Pruning Effects on Trade #1 Sweet Viburnum Growth and Leaf Area. Southern Nursery Association Research Conference. 54:195-200.

Interpretive Summary: Pruning of ornamental shrubs is commonly practiced to improve plant quality but little is known about the quantitative effects of pruning on subsequent growth. Under the conditions of this experiment, pruning sweet viburnum plants greatly reduced subsequent plant biomass and leaf area growth. This information will be incorporated into a crop model which simulates growth of pruned ornamental shrubs. Results indicate that research efforts to maximize pruning effectiveness are warranted.

Technical Abstract: Pruning of main stems two months after planting improved plant shape but set back subsequent growth of plants. While we mechanically pruned at a fixed height in this experiment, manual pruning would allow greater precision in cutting off terminal nodes and may reduce the impact that mechanical pruning had on shoot and root growth in this experiment.