A bud is not just a bud. In fact, there are striking differences that have a significant influence on the professional pruning of ornamental and fruit trees. This guide will familiarize you with the main types of buds and their function in the growth process.
The flower bud is just one of several types of buds
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Show all- What is a bud?
- Bud types at a glance
What is a bud?
All higher plants, such as herbaceous perennials and flowers as well as woody plants, have growth points, the buds. During the vegetation phase, these form on all parts of the plant, from the shoot or the trunk to the root. Think of a bud as a tiny powerhouse containing all the components needed for this year's growth. A bud receives the signal for budding via plant hormones, which in turn are controlled by the weather conditions.
Bud types at a glance
The type of plant, the growth pattern, the timing of the plant and the position determine whether buds turn into a flower, a leaf or a shoot. Summer-blooming shrubs attach their flower buds to this year's shoots, while spring-blooming ones complete this task the previous year. Sometimes a bud remains dormant and stays tiny for a long time, only to suddenly sprout. The most important types of buds and their main functions are presented in the following overview:
| bud types | main function | position |
|---|---|---|
| flower bud | unfolding to bloom | mostly on the one, two or three year old shoots |
| leaf bud | Sprouting of leaves and/or side shoots | along the shoot axis |
| terminal bud | Leaf and/or flower shoots | at the end of a woody shoot |
| adventitious bud | Growth of leaves, flowers, shoots and roots from old wood | spontaneously on the trunk, shoots and roots |
| Sleeping Eye (Proventive Bud) | Restoration of lost plant parts, primarily on fruit trees | long time under the bark |
Adventurous buds and dormant eyes are the secret reserve of shrubs and trees. On older trees they may sprout spontaneously and immediately from the cambium, like adventitious buds. Or they wait years for their big appearance, like proventive buds. If a severe pruning results in a high loss of branches, the affected plant will fall back on the budding understudy to compensate. Thanks to these types of buds, numerous trees and shrubs are able to sprout from old wood after pruning for regeneration.
tips
The essential importance of buds for plant growth requires special pruning for woody plants. A bud must not be injured because it will then dry up and die. On the other hand, there should not be a long stub above the growth point, because this can develop into a focus of infection. Therefore, place the cutting tool at a slight angle a few millimeters above a bud.