Does defoliating an oak (robur) speed up the spring new growth?

[Mike Corazzi]

I guess that's the whole question.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Defoliating the dead autumm leaves you mean?

 

[Wulfskaar]

I think it can for a live oak/evergreen, but probably not a deciduous one.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I cut back after the spring flush on Q robur. Then they flush out again.
Some of mine can do a turd flush like that, the others stop growing instead. So just do it once if you really want to.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

*third flush

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Defoliating the dead autumm leaves you mean?

Yes.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I suposed you mean that, in japan they do it with a lot of decidous trees, the theory its that removing soon all the leaves when they change color its providing more sun and air to the buds accelerating the spring buding, the growth and the interior growth. With oaks makes sense to do it too since they hold to the leaves for a long time

 

[Potawatomi13]

IF? BIG IF tree starts growth one day, one week earlier SO WHAT? Tree holds dead leaves, abcision layer does not release leaves for some reason until time to grow comes. Let nature take its course. What's the rush?

 

[Crazy Diamond]

That reason its useful in nature, not so much in a controled enviroment

 

[Crazy Diamond]

You can see how they do it in Taisho en Japan its in spanish but you get the idea, They defoliate the trees to get more sun and air in the buds, also prevents fungi and insects

 

[Tieball]

I have a winter climate. Arctic cold dormancy.…probably very different than your winter. During dormancy…..Whatever leaves are on the tree will fall when nature determines the time is right. I’ve always believed that the leaves left on a tree once winter sets in are simply protecting buds. They will all fall off soon enough in spring. I let nature do what it needs to do and nature seems to work just fine without my intervention.