The bluebell tree (bot. Paulownia) grows relatively quickly and is quite decorative, so it doesn't necessarily have to be cut into shape. However, he is getting very big. If you want to prevent this, you should prune it regularly.
How do I prune a bluebell tree correctly?
When trimming a bluebell tree, you can trim the main shoot below the desired height and all other shoots to the desired shape. A radical cut is possible every two years, while a thinning cut should be carried out annually after flowering.
Regular pruning ensures that your bluebell tree grows densely and evenly. A tree that is pruned late, on the other hand, appears inharmonious or even mutilated. Diseased or damaged shoots should be removed immediately from any tree.
Can I keep the bluebell tree small by cutting?
If you want your bluebell tree to remain small overall, cut the main shoot below the desired height, just above a pair of buds. If you break out one of these buds, no fork will form there, only a single leading shoot will grow. Shorten all other shoots to create the shape you want.
What should I consider when cutting my paulownia?
The bluebell tree tolerates pruning quite well and survives radical pruning quite well. You can do it about every two years if you want to keep your paulownia small and shorten the upper shoots to a few centimeters.
When thinning, however, you only remove diseased, dead and damaged branches as well as shoots that are too close together. Ideally, you should carry out this cut after flowering before the new buds form for the next year in autumn.
Pruning in spring
In spring, you should definitely check your bluebell tree for frost damage and remove it. It's best to wait for the last late frosts. It only becomes somewhat hardy as it gets older. However, the buds and young shoots are still quite sensitive.
When individual shoots freeze in winter, forks form with one strong and one weak shoot. You can easily cut out the weaker shoots and thus control further growth. This measure is particularly recommended for the main shoots of a young bluebell tree.
The most important things in brief:
- regular pruning not mandatory but useful
- Radical cut every two years
- Annual thinning cut
Tip
You can keep a bluebell tree relatively small through targeted and regular pruning.
