The crown of a plane tree can easily be raised to a flat, green roof by pruning. Underneath you can linger in the summer. In order for the tree to keep this shape year after year, it has to be thinned out diligently.

Plane trees should be raised early to form a roof

Raising young plane trees

Tree nurseries offer trees that have already been trained, which you can plant in the garden and only have to keep in shape from now on. However, these trees are not affordable for everyone. However, the plane tree can also be easily propagated and trained by amateurs to form the roof.

  • choose a specimen that has just grown
  • cut off the top completely
  • remove all vertically growing branches
  • build a horizontal trellis of bamboo sticks in the crown
  • Braid horizontally growing branches into the trellis

Notice:
As soon as the branches are strong enough and stable in their position, the bamboo frame can be removed again.

time for trimmings

Here the experts disagree. While some recommend two summer cuts, others speak of a summer and a winter cut. Some even recommend a combination of both.

  • the first summer pruning takes place before June 24 (St. John's Day)
  • the second summer cut takes place at the end of August/beginning of September
  • in winter, January and February are the best months

Since no gardener is happy about many pruning dates, it is worth trying to keep the sycamore in shape with only summer pruning. If this succeeds, cutting in winter can be dispensed with.

The weather on the cutting day

In winter, the day must not be too frosty, as wound healing is then made more difficult. Avoid blazing sun in summer, as the leaves that were previously hidden and exposed after cutting can burn. A wet day with an overcast sky is ideal.

cutting tool and ladder

You need a long ladder to cut a roof plane tree, otherwise you will hardly be able to reach the branches. Cutting with telescopic scissors is possible, but also very tedious. Garden shears and pruning shears are suitable tools, which must be sharp and disinfected so that clean cuts are made and no diseases are transmitted.

tips

For larger plane trees, it is easier to trim the crown with hedge trimmers (€77.00).

This is how it is cut

The plane tree tolerates pruning. Since it grows quickly, it also forgives pruning mistakes. If you still don't dare to put on the scissors yourself, you can hire a specialist company to do it. Otherwise, proceed as follows:

  • Do not cut main shoots
  • they form the indispensable framework for the shape of the roof
  • Cut back all vertical new shoots down to the main branch
  • Tie branches that are sprouting to the side flat or remove if necessary
  • Remove dead and broken shoots all year round

Category:

Trees