I'm supposed to know all the botany/physiology terms to explain it, but I
don't exercise the phrases enough to keep them. Basicly, when you cut off
the tops, the roots don't hear about it right away. They continue
functioning as if tops are still there. Auxins or hormones are sent up, and
if the tops were still there, eventually the leaves' compounds would be sent
back to roots in turn. So, root products go up, and collect near the cut
area. You cut those off (at about 24 hours), and this removes the info
source which would have told the roots what to do next.
Many herbicides work by disrupting the normal exchange of auxins/ hormones/
info/ carbs in plants. This double-cut method is an organic way of
accomplishing this.
(Listers, please post a better explanation, if mine needs help)
tc, sWI, where we already had frost-damaged apple flowers before last
night's freeze.
Tanis, I have lots of clonal poplar to clear around my orchards, I have
never heard of
this idea, can you explain more? I don't see the logic behind the 24 hour
period.
Curious, Del
> tanis cuff wrote:
> Another method, supposed to be especially effective on clonal patches
> (example: poplar, black locust)-- cut at waist to shoulder height one
day,
> next day (as close to 24 hours as practical) cut at ground level. I
think
> this is for the growing season, not for dormant. I haven't tried this,
but
> neighbors have, and said they liked the results.