Energy Usage and New Branches

[jimlau]

When does a new shoot go from taking energy stored during dormancy in order to bud and grow, to the rsulting foliage contributing energy to the tree? I'm asking to determine when it is too late to snip off a budding shoot, as it would be wasted energy to have been put into the new shoot without getting a return on the investment.

If relevant, I'm talking about deciduous, in particular trident and Japanese maple.

Thanks.

 

[Dav4]

I would hazard that the energy flow associated with a new shoot goes from negative to positive only after the newly formed leaves are hardened off and able to photosynthesize to a high degree. Being able to definitively tell when a new branch has created enough energy to replace what was used to build it is likely impossible. Midway through the growing season would be my best guess.

 

[jimlau]

I would hazard that the energy flow associated with a new shoot goes from negative to positive only after the newly formed leaves are hardened off and able to photosynthesize to a high degree. Being able to definitively tell when a new branch has created enough energy to replace what was used to build it is likely impossible. Midway through the growing season would be my best guess.

 

[jimlau]

So it seems removing a shoot that has 3-4 leaf pairs not near being hardened would be a waste of energy? In my case, I have some shoots that now won't be in the final design, so not sure when to remove them. Let them mature some and remove, or just take a hit in energy and remove now.

 

[Dav4]

So it seems removing a shoot that has 3-4 leaf pairs not near being hardened would be a waste of energy? In my case, I have some shoots that now won't be in the final design, so not sure when to remove them. Let them mature some and remove, or just take a hit in energy and remove now.

If the tree is growing strongly, and the small shoots you want to cut off represent a small fraction of the total canopy, you can remove them now in my opinion

 

[bwaynef]

Leaves harden off ~4-6, maybe 8 weeks after flushing out and that's the end of the energy draw the plant puts into the leaf. From there on, the leaf begins to pay back the tree for its efforts. At what point the tree's paid in full is hard to say. At some point, its better to lose a bit of energy and thereby disallow the tree from continuing to put energy into growth that's not where it needs to be. At other points, its beneficial to let the tree focus its energy into a branch that's going to be removed so that the rest of the tree can be slowed down.

As always, pictures help us help you.

 

[nuttiest]

When does a new shoot go from taking energy stored during dormancy in order to bud and grow, to the rsulting foliage contributing energy to the tree? I'm asking to determine when it is too late to snip off a budding shoot, as it would be wasted energy to have been put into the new shoot without getting a return on the investment.

If relevant, I'm talking about deciduous, in particular trident and Japanese maple.

Thanks.

Net energy loss or gain is offset by injury response... the smallest injury would be by defoliation, or possibly bend and break instead of cutting.