I have a confession to make. I hate pruning the crabapple tree. It's such a confusing mess of branches, growing every which way. For example, in the photo below, do I remove that branch that is heading straight up?
Or is that taking out too much? Should I leave part of it, the side shoot?
And then there is this mess of crossing branches.
It's hard to figure out where to start, and where to stop. There just isn't a strong element of structure here, unlike with other trees, where it's obvious what should go and what should stay. If I prune too much, there will be a plethora of watersprouts to contend with next year. Oh, cruel tree, where is your form?
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My review of The Gardener's Color Palette is up at Carpe Geum. Stayed tuned for the results of the Great Houseplant Census of 2010.