| Hi Alan, Do the same thing on multiple trees and then take careful measurements. The experiments have been done. The research I referenced was conducted by Dr. Dave Ferree at Ohio State University over ten years ago. There's plenty of research that is "truly definitive," and it is often counter-intuitive. An example: the intuitive lopping back of stems on transplanted bare-root trees to "balance the root loss during transplanting." Seems like the right thing to do but, as careful measurements have shown, it isn't. (Hormones produced in buds stimulate root growth, among other things.) As for where all that energy goes from "say mid-July until leaf-fall," how about into the roots, into existing stems, into buds that are forming? The research has been done. I agree that much horticultural research is useless in the real world, but no need to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Some it -- Dave Ferree's, for example -- is very meaningful, as is much of the pruning research on apple trees. And yes, I do like to sell my books. More importantly, I find it frustrating to read theories based on limited personal observations (and intuitions) when facts are available. In my books, I try to present these facts in an engaging manner. Lee Lee Reich, PhD Books by Lee Reich: A Northeast Gardener's Year The Pruning Book Weedless Gardening Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden Landscaping with Fruit On Aug 12, 2009, at 9:12 PM, Alan Haigh wrote:
|
Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.